Not Just an Ordinary Cook
by JPandS
Summary: Makoto gets a job as a chef for Relena Peacecraft. Finally she has a chance to live a regular life. No more negaverse, no fighting, no Jupiter, just cooking. But of course the job would show to be not as regular as she thought.
1. The Beginning of a Regular Life

Makoto sat there nervously awaiting for her turn to be interviewed. She was finally done with school and was now looking for a job. It was a high paying cooking job and she couldn't believe her luck when she got a phone call from one of the secretaries of the one and only Relena Peacecraft! It was all a blur. She could remember sitting at home doing nothing when the phone suddenly rang. She answered it hesitantly because she thought it might be a bill collector, but the call proved to be worth while (though after she hung up the phone rang again and she was so excited she frowned when she realized that the person on the other line just so happened to be a bill collector). It seems that her culinary arts teacher had some connections in the Sanq Kingdom and pulled some strings in order to get Makoto an interview. Makoto was so happy that she practically spent all of her money on food and baked it for her old teacher. But now she sat there fiddling with the bottom of her shirt wondering whether this was a good idea or not.

'What if I'm not good enough?' she thought. 'What if they don't like my cooking?' she kept thinking. It had been like that the whole afternoon. She just sat there and almost contemplated leaving but her stubborn side kicked in. 'You're not going home! You're the best cook in this place and if they don't like it, then they must be crazy.' so she sat there battling with her conscience.

"Ms. Kino, my boss will see you now," said the secretary.

"Oh…thank you," said Makoto with a nod. Her legs were wobbly when she stood up and before she opened the door she took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing." She then opened the door and poked her head through the opening.

"Ms. Kino, please come in, come in," he said as he waved his hand around at her. "Please take a seat."

Obediently, she seated herself in front of his desk and smiled.

"I have heard a lot of good things about you," said the man. "You know, Monsieur Louis (Makoto's culinary teacher) has said that you are the best student he has had in many years and usually when he says that he's right. He himself used to be the Peacecrafts' personal chef, that is until Ms. Relena's parents died. I had once gotten the opportunity to eat one of his delicious meals and I can tell you now that there has yet been a chef that could top off any of his work."

With a nod Makoto agreed and sat there listening to the rest of this man's babble.

"Well, that's enough about me, how about we learn a little bit more about you. Do you have any family?" he asked, suddenly becoming stern and more business like.

"No, I don't have any family," she replied sadly as she dropped her head a bit.

"No?" he said with a raised eyebrow. "Do you live with anyone?"

"No, I don't," said Makoto as she cleared her sad thoughts from her mind. "I live on my own in an apartment near Juuban High School. My Aunt, who is the only relative I have left, set me off to live on my own when I was sixteen."

"I see," said the man behind the desk. "Well, do you have a boyfriend?"

Makoto was slightly shocked at this question and hesitated in answering. Why on Earth would he ask a question like that?

"No, I don't have a boyfriend at the moment," she replied. She then saw him nod as he began to write something on a piece of paper in front of him.

"This is very good," he said as he continued nodding. "Do you have any close friends?"

Makoto nodded.

"Tell me about them," he said as he looked at her through his glasses.

"Well, I've got twelve really good friends from high school. Two of them are getting married this summer and are the sweetest couple I've ever seen. I have another friend named Rei who is a priestess at a nearby temple and lives with her grandfather. Then I have another friend named Mina who is very talented at volleyball but has dropped it for a career in acting. Then there's Setsuna who works at a clothing manufacturer as a designer, she's also really smart and very fashionable as you could probably guess." Her face beamed with excitement as she continued talking about her friends. "Then there's Michiru who is an accomplished painter, she also plays the violin accompanied by another friend of mine, named Haruka. Haruka also races professionally and is really good too. Oh, and then there's Hotaru who lives with them. She's such a sweet and intelligent girl, I love her so much. She's just so cute. I used to be her babysitter when she was younger. Then there's Ami, who is a super genius! She wants to become a doctor and is currently studying abroad. And finally, there's Luna and Artemis. They've really taught me a lot in life and I will never forget all of the things that they have done for me." she said while making sure to keep out the fact that Luna and Artemis were talking cats.

"I see," said the man. "You have quite a bit of ties to famous people. I went to one of Michiru's concerts and was very impressed. I also had the opportunity to see Haruka race, and that was quite shocked when I saw what she could do. She really knows how to handle a car. As for your friend Ami, I have also had a chance to meet her at a convention. She was one of the candidates for our search for scientists. Though we soon found out that she had no intention on joining and it turned out that someone else had signed her up for it. She would've been a fine choice had she been interested. She's a brilliant girl."

Makoto once again nodded in agreement.

"Other than that, I would say that you have somewhat of a regular life." he said as rubbed is chin. "Tell me, what extracurricular activities have you been in throughout your high school experience?"

Makoto cringed slightly thinking of the activities that she had taken part in during high school. 'Oh, I joined a group of Sailor Scouts and used my planetary powers to save and protect the Earth from the evil negaverse that had sworn vengeance on the innocent and wanted to rule the world. Not to mention, I'm the guardian of the Princess of the Moon who will someday return to her kingdom in Krystal Tokyo. Oh yeah, and all those friends that I just mentioned are all scouts too and are princesses of their own respective planets. And did I mention that we get all of our information from two talking cats who just so happen to be named Luna and Artemis?' she sweat dropped as she thought of the response and soon found him sitting there looking a little impatient.

"Well," started Makoto. "I was in the Culinary Arts club." the guy nodded. "And I was in the Gardening club too."

"Anything else outside of school?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. I worked at a café as a waitress. I had hoped to be a chef but it never worked out." said Makoto with a big smile hoping that he wouldn't ask anymore about the other 'extracurricular activities' that she took part of.

"Well, surely you didn't just work all the time," he said and Makoto's shoulders dropped. 'I'm cursed with bad luck' she decided as she sat there.

"Of course not, I used to hang out with my friends a lot when I wasn't at work." she answered.

"What kind of things would you guys do?" he asked.

"Oh you know, the usual."

"Which would be…" he continued.

"Umm," Makoto said nervously. "We would hang out and talk about…'stuff.'" That didn't seem to be much of a hard question but when she thought about it, all she could remember doing with her friends was fight the negaverse. She knew they had done other things together, but she just couldn't think of them. Besides, what did regular high school students do in their free time?

The man nodded and had a skeptical look on his face as he studied Makoto. She was smiling nervously and was fidgeting with her bracelet.

"Stuff, huh…" he said and Makoto nodded enthusiastically.

"Well you know, we talked about what all normal girls talked about." she slapped herself mentally as she said that. What a lame thing to say. Now for sure he was going to be suspicious. Suddenly Makoto didn't feel so good about this and wanted the interview to be over. "Why exactly are you asking me all of these weird questions anyways?" said Makoto. "I thought this an interview about my cooking not an investigation."

The man across from nodded and replied. "That is very true. It is an interview for cooking but you must understand that before we even consider hiring a new person to serve Ms. Relena Peacecraft, we must first get to know that person and who they're affiliated with. We can't just ask if your good at a certain thing and then hire you to find out that you were a spy that was sent to relinquish Ms. Peacecraft. So you see, it is a very important that we interview everyone in such a manner as I have to you."

"Oh," said Makoto in response. "I see. But why don't you just do a background check?"

"We have," he said as he cleared his throat. "And it seems you are pretty honest and everything you have said as been true to the report that we have on you. Except we only have knowledge of you having nine friends…this Luna and this Artemis that you mentioned aren't found anywhere within the report."

Makoto sweat dropped again. 'How am I supposed to get outta this one?' she thought.

"Well, they're not exactly human."

The man's eyebrow then raised as he said; "Is that so?"

"Yeah, they're cats." she said.

"Cats?" said the man. "I thought you said that you-"

"Learnt a lot from them?" she interrupted. "Yeah I did. They were silly cats that used to do a lot of crazy things like jump off roofs and such and get major injuries and such. That taught me that I shouldn't ever jump of a roof unless I know I can land it!" she made up lamely. "Oh, and Luna and Artemis are kind of the main source of my friends and mines inside jokes. You won't be able to understand them unless you know them. It's pretty much just us that find great life lessons from the silly cats' behavior."

Slowly the man nodded and decided to drop the subject which made Makoto glad.

"Well, I'm glad that we got that out of the way," he said. "When can you start?"

"Well, I'm busy this week-end, but I can start on-" she stopped. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"When can you start?" he repeated.

"Y-you mean I got the job?" she said in surprise.

"Yes, you did," he replied. "So, when can you start?"

Makoto was so ecstatic that she couldn't help but smile and couldn't quite find words to say. 'Gosh Makoto, it's just a job!' she thought to herself. "Well, I'm free on Monday," she finally managed to say.

"Good," said the man. "Monday it is. There's a train at 10:00 AM that is leaving for the Sanq Kingdom and I hope that you will make it there on time. I suggest that you pack everything that you value and make sure to spend your last few days here with your close friends because your new job won't leave you much time to talk with them. This is a traveling job Ms. Kino and it requires a lot of mobility on behalf of the employee. You may sometimes find that you won't be allowed to make any contact with any of your friends or family in certain circumstances and sometimes you will be able to contact them, but you must be able to handle it without suddenly becoming depressed and such. This job requires you to be somewhat detached from your loved ones. If it sounds like a job that you would not want then speak now."

She stayed there for a while thinking about it then nodded. Sure she loved her friends and all, but she had to become independent and go off on her own eventually. After all, it's not like there was pressing business holding her here. The negaverse was gone and her scouting days were finally over. They had all given up their powers and now she could live a regular life, starting today. "I'll take it." she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"I'm as sure as I could ever be," she replied. The man then nodded and handed her the train tickets.

"10:00 AM sharp," he said as he sat back down at his desk. "When you get to the Sanq Kingdom tell them that Sanjuuichi Makio, who is me, sent you to fill the head cook position in Relena's kitchen. Then show them this," he said as he handed her a sealed envelope. "If it's opened then they won't let you in so I suggest you keep it in a safe spot where it will stay closed."

Makoto then nodded and was dismissed with a good luck and suddenly found herself running home with excitement. She got home and burst through the door and immediately began packing. When she was done, she sat in her couch fatigued and picked up her phone to call the girls and invite them over for a get together the next day and they all agreed, with the exception of Ami being as she was overseas. Finally she had something to do. She felt greater than she had when she moved out here and found out she was a Sailor Scout. She had an extremely high paying job doing something that she loved and she knew very well that she could easily do it for the rest of her life. At last, she had something worth while to do and it didn't involve the negaverse or any weird activity.

There was no fighting left for her to do and for once she was thankful. It was a start of a regular life, something that was very refreshing to Makoto.

Well that's all for now, tell me what you think and I'll make sure to try and update my other stuff, kay? Stay cool my fellow readers and writers!

Bye! Don't forget to review!


	2. I'm Moving!

It was Saturday morning and Makoto was already up cooking for her friends. She was just so excited that she didn't get much sleep last night. She had invited everyone to come over at 12 o'clock in the afternoon and she wanted everything to be ready. Sure her apartment looked plain due to the fact that she had packed everything that she was taking, but it still looked nice. The only things weren't going to take were the furniture and her plants. Other than that everything was gone and packed away.

As Makoto stirred the contents in one of the pots she checked her watch for the time. It was only 9:30! In disappointment she sat at the table and waited for the pies in the oven to finish. Her hands were placed behind her head as she leaned back on the chair with her feet on the table. Normally she would've never placed her feet on her precious table or would she have leaned on her chair in such a way that she was now, but being as these things were just going to be left there she didn't care about their condition.

She was almost asleep when the doorbell suddenly rang and for some odd reason it seemed louder than ever. In shock Makoto fell backwards on her chair and groaned as she tried to get back up. "I guess that's what I get for sitting like that, huh." she said as she got up. She went to the door and opened it to find Setsuna, Haruka, Hotaru and Michiru. She looked at her watch and saw it said 10:00 AM and tapped it a few times as if it would suddenly change to display a different time. Then finally Setsuna spoke up.

"We decided to come early," she said with a smile. "We had nothing else to do and figured that you were here on your own cooking for everybody."

"Well we thought you were on your own until we heard a loud thump," said Haruka with a sly grin. "You and your boyfriend having fun in there?" she said with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Makoto looked at her through squinted eyes and grunted in disbelief. "Oh please Haruka, I'm over that kind of stuff. The guy'd have to marry me before I'd ever do something like 'that' with him."

"Right…" said Haruka. "Just as long as Hotaru's innocent ears are around I won't say anything about it." she said with a wink.

Makoto glared at her and was about to say something back when Michiru interrupted.

"Alright you two, that's enough. Haruka please stop badgering Makoto."

With a deep sigh Haruka complied. "Fine," she said as she smirked at Makoto. Setsuna then came in followed by Hotaru who jumped up and hugged Makoto.

"Congratulations, Makoto!" said the small Hotaru. Makoto then looked at her a little confused and Hotaru just giggled.

"Congrats for what?" she asked. In response, Hotaru just shrugged her shoulders and sat on the couch between Haruka and Setsuna. Just then the timer for the pies went off and Makoto rushed to take them out.

"So Makoto," asked Michiru when Makoto came back to the living room. "Are you redecorating?" she asked as she made a notion towards the walls where there used to be pictures hanging up. Makoto blushed and laughed nervously as she scratched the back of her head.

"Actually that's the reason why I called and invited everyone over." said Makoto.

"You need help redecorating?" asked Michiru.

"Not exactly," said Makoto as she continued to laugh nervously. "I'm, uh…..I'm…" she hesitated. "I'm-"

"Moving!" said Hotaru. Makoto's jaw dropped and Michiru looked at her softly as Setsuna grabbed her to cover her mouth. Setsuna then smiled apologetically at Makoto and Makoto finally realized what the congratulations was for.

"Hotaru, you shouldn't shout out like that," said Michiru. "It's very rude. Sorry Makoto, but what were you going to say honey?"

"Actually, Hotaru was right." said Makoto as she smiled nervously.

"What do you mean?" asked Michiru. By that time, Haruka was pulled back to reality and sat on the edge of the couch looking at Makoto.

"I'm moving!" said Makoto. She then released a sigh of relief to finally have let it come out and looked over at Michiru and Haruka.

"Moving!" said Haruka in a preposterous sort of tone. "Since when?"

"Since, yesterday," said Makoto.

"Who said you could move?" said Haruka in obvious anger. Makoto rolled her eyes and Michiru started to try and calm Haruka down.

"Haruka, she is perfectly able to move if she wants to. After all, she is a successful and independent young lady who can make decisions on her own." said Michiru.

"But Michi, she's moving to a different place! She can't move," retorted Haruka.

"And why not?" asked Michiru.

Haruka was then silent and jerked her head to the side as if she didn't want anyone to see her. "Because she can't," said Haruka in a somewhat childish manner which made Makoto smile.

"Aww, does Haruka actwually care about little Mako-chan?" said Makoto mockingly with a huge smile on her face.

"Shut it Makoto, I'm not in the mood," she retorted stubbornly. Michiru then giggled and smiled.

"Well I am happy for you Makoto," said Michiru. At those words everyone could hear Haruka mumbling under her breath. Of course it didn't sound at all G-rated so they ignored it.

"Thanks," replied Makoto.

"Whereabouts are you moving?" asked Michiru.

"The Sanq Kingdom," said Makoto with a shrug.

"The Sanq Kingdom!" yelled Haruka. "Move, yeah, but to the Sanq Kingdom! Who the heck said you could go that far?"

Once again Michiru sat there trying to console Haruka.

"Ruka, she's probably got a good reason to go. Besides I'm sure she'll keep in touch. You really shouldn't worry so much." said Michiru. Haruka was then glowering with anger and sat with her arms folded and mouth shut.

"Why exactly are you moving there, Makoto?" asked Michiru.

"Well, yesterday I went in for an interview to be the head chef in Ms. Relena's kitchen. I was nervous but I got the job!" said Makoto with her excitement rising.

Haruka then grunted. "So let me get this straight…you're moving so that you can go cook for a spoiled princess! You can do that over here! Just move in with Usagi and call it a day. It's just as good as moving to the Sanq Kingdom and being the head chef. And I'll tell you what," said Haruka. "not only will you be the head chef for a princess, but you'll be the one and only chef for the princess if you move in with her."

Makoto smiled in disbelief and rubbed her temples softly. Of all people that would give her a hard time about moving, it had to be Haruka. What a shocker.

"Haruka," said Setsuna. "This is a choice that Makoto has thought hard over and I'm sure she knows what she's doing. Besides, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for her and we can't ruin that."

Haruka took another deep sigh and rolled her eyes. Setsuna and Michiru were right and she knew it, but did Makoto really have to move? "Fine," said Haruka in defeat. "Congratulations Makoto for being a good cook, but don't think that I support that moving stuff. I personally think that you can just cook here and Fed-Ex the food to the Sanq Kingdom."

Makoto then laughed along with Setsuna, Hotaru and Michiru, and even though Haruka was mad she couldn't help smiling.

Ding-Dong rang the doorbell. Makoto then got up and went to answer it.

"Are we late?" asked Rei as she and Minako walked in and noticed the outers sitting in the living room.

"Nope," said Makoto. "You're just on time."

Rei and Minako then sat down and placed the board games that they brought over on the coffee table.

"Hey guys," said Minako. "Anyone up for a game of Twister?"

Hotaru then jumped up excitedly and dragged Haruka along with her. They then started playing and the others just watched.

"Right foot, green," said Rei. Minako, who had her legs in a lunging position and her hands crossed in front of her, lifted her right leg and began to shake. While she was trying to move her right leg to the green circle, Haruka had mischievously persuaded Hotaru to try and get Minako to fall without her realizing it. So as Minako was shaking and had her right foot in the air, Hotaru pretended to sneeze and slightly hit Minako on the side.

"Sorry," said Hotaru, who was doing the splits beneath the two and had her right hand down parallel to her right shoulder.

"Oh don't worry about it," said Minako as she almost lost her balance. Then Hotaru sneezed again and almost made Minako fall again as she slightly hit up against Minako's side. "That's okay," said Minako a getting a little flustered. Then as Minako was about to get her foot over to the green circle, Hotaru began to giggle and being as she was under Minako's back Minako began to laugh too because Hotaru was tickling her. Then there was no stopping it, Minako fell down and brought Haruka down with her.

"I won!" shouted Hotaru as she beamed triumphantly at the two 'losers'.

"Hey! No fair! You cheated!" yelled Minako. Hotaru looked at her with a hurt expression and said, "Why I'd never." The others then laughed as Minako started to chase Hotaru around the room.

"We're here!" shouted Usagi as she burst through the door with Mamoru in tow. "Did we miss anything?" she asked while searching around for a tray of food.

"No, we were just waiting for you guys to show so we could start," said Makoto.

"Okay! Well we're here!" said Usagi enthusiastically. Makoto smiled and got up to go get the food.

"Wait, Makoto," said Michiru. "We'll get it for you."

Michiru then got up and got the food with the help of a reluctant Haruka. They all sat there talking and finally the big question popped up.

"So Makoto," asked Mamoru. "Why'd you call us over?"

Usagi then looked at him scoldingly. "Mamoru, that is a very rude question! If she wants to invite us over, then she can and she doesn't have to explain why either!"

Mamoru then looked at her and tried to explain that he was just trying to strike a conversation but Usagi wasn't listening. So Makoto decided to help Mamoru out.

"Well Usagi," said Makoto in Mamoru's defense. "It's okay really. I was actually about to tell you all why I invited you anyways." At these words Mamoru seemed relieved and mentally thanked Makoto.

"Okay," said Usagi. "What's up?"

Makoto then cleared her throat and took a deep breath. 'Here we go again'. "I'm moving!"

The room went silent and Haruka laughed but stopped when Michiru elbowed her.

"I'm sorry, Mako-chan. I don't think I heard correctly," said Usagi. "Can you repeat that?"

Makoto looked solemnly at Usagi and repeated it. "I'm moving."

Usagi then looked like she was going to have a heart attack at that moment and she jumped into Mamoru's arms for consolation.

"This is the worse nightmare I have ever had! First it was Ami that was moving and now it's Mako-chan! Why must the world be so cruel?" she bellowed.

"Calm down Usagi," said Mamoru. "It's not that bad." At this, Usagi lifted herself from his arms and looked at him accusingly.

"What do you mean, it's not that bad?" she yelled. "Do you want her to leave or something? Do you not like Mako-chan?"

"Usagi calm down," said Rei somewhat annoyed. "I'm sure we're all sad that Mako's moving so quit your whining already."

Usagi then sat childishly with her arms folded and looked at Makoto.

"I'm g-glad," started Minako. "No I mean, I'm happy for you, I think."

There was an awkward silence that filled the room and no one knew what to say.

"Well, I'm sure you have good reasons to move," said Artemis suddenly breaking the silence. Makoto then jumped because she never realized Artemis was there and looked around to find Luna in Usagi's lap.

"When did you guys get here?" asked Makoto.

"Just a few minutes ago," responded Luna. "We were in the future and Setsuna helped us get back just a few minutes ago."

Makoto then nodded and smiled to herself. Of course it would only be her and her friends that would ever regard time travel and talking cats with an air of familiarity as if it was usual and happened all the time.

"Well, I leave on Monday." Said Makoto. "I'm going to be the head chef for Relena Peacecraft in the Sanq Kingdom."

Usagi then lifted her head with wide eyes. "Does that mean, you going to pledge your allegiance to another princess? Are you-" she stopped. "Are you going to ally yourself with Princess Relena and come back to overthrow me in the time of Krystal Tokyo?" said Usagi in worry.

"Of course not," said Makoto as she laughed. "Why on Earth would I do such a thing? Just because I'm cooking for another princess, it doesn't mean I'm pledging my allegiance to her. It's just a job."

"Oh," said Usagi as she calmed herself down a bit. Makoto then seated herself next to Usagi and put an arm over her shoulder.

"I would never betray you Princess Serenity, and if you are ever in trouble you can count on me to be there ready to fight for you. I would die before ever being a traitor." said Makoto in hopes of consolidating Usagi. Needless to say it worked and Usagi burst into tears as she hugged Makoto.

"Just promise me you'll be at the wedding," she cried.

Makoto smiled and promised.

"You're going to be at the front of the line Makoto! If your not there, I'll be able to tell." she said. Everyone then laughed and it there was finally a more comfortable air around the room.

"I'm really proud of you," said Rei. "You're finally going to be off on your own."

"Yeah," said Minako. "I'm really happy for you, Makoto. Those guys are lucky to get to have your cooking, but promise you'll send us some every now and then." she said with a smile.

"Sure," said Makoto.

They all were finally laughing again and had even called Ami and had her on speakerphone. It was nice to hear her voice again and it reminded everyone of the good old times. It was soon late and everyone left. They all hugged Makoto and kissed her goodbye and Usagi swore that she would make it to the train station on time to see Makoto off.

"I promise to wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning so I can make sure not to miss you, okay?" she said. Makoto then nodded and smiled as she walked everyone down to their cars. Haruka was the last to leave and stood there for a while thinking.

"Are you gonna be there Monday?" asked Makoto.

Haruka grinned. "If I was there then that would mean I support the move."

Makoto lowered her head and smiled.

"But being as you're going to move whether I approve or not, I guess I have no choice." Haruka then smiled and put her hand out and Makoto took it. "I'll see you Monday, but remember if you want to change your mind it's okay. You don't have to go." Makoto smiled at Haruka and was surprised to see how much she cared, it was almost as if Haruka was Makoto's older sister or something.

"I know," said Makoto. "But I want to."

With that said, Haruka nodded in understanding and left. All in all, it was a good day and there weren't too many hard feelings about Makoto moving which was a relief. Sunday passed by quickly and before Makoto knew it, it was already Monday.

"It's finally time." said Makoto as she closed her apartment door for the last time and walked to her car. When she got to the train station everyone was standing there holding a huge banner with big bold letters that read "We'll miss you Makoto! Don't be a stranger! And don't talk to any either!" She laughed as she read it and appreciated their humor.

"I'll really miss you guys," she said as she hugged each of them.

"We'll miss you too," Mako-chan said Hotaru.

Makoto then got on the train and waved at them until she couldn't see them anymore. She then sat down and opened the gift that they had given her and smiled. It was a picture of all of them together in high school. They were in regular clothes and had ice cream. There was Usagi and Rei standing next to each other with their arms over each others shoulders and for once they weren't fighting with each other. Then there was Ami who had a book in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other standing next to Michiru who was laughing at the little Hotaru who had gotten some of her ice cream on her face. Then there was Minako standing next to Setsuna with a peace sign as she was licking her ice cream and Setsuna stood there winking with her head slightly tilted to the side. Then finally there was Haruka who had her arm around Makoto's shoulders and was leaning her head on Makoto's with her ice cream in hand winking and Makoto had the same pose too. Good times…

She put the picture away safely in her bag and noticed something fall from her bag. She picked it up and slowly opened the letter. It was from Haruka. It turned out Haruka had personally picked out the picture for her and wrapped it herself. Which was a shocker because Haruka never had the patience to do something like that but for Makoto, she didn't mind. As Makoto finished reading the letter she leaned back in her chair in deep thought. She was going to miss her friends, there was no doubt about it, but somehow she knew that she had to go. It was the right thing for her to do at the moment and no one could tell her otherwise.

"Finally, a new beginning," she said as she drifted off to sleep.

Okey dokey that's all for now, please review and I'll try harder to update my other stuff. Tell me if you like it, hate it, whatever, just don't forget to review please.

Bye!

P.S.

I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing.


	3. Get Out of the Kitchen!

"Working hard as always."

Makoto smiled and continued clearing off the counters of the kitchen. She moved swiftly wiping vigorously until the countertops sparkled.

"Nah, I've actually been slacking off lately," she spoke.

"What, you failed to polish the trash this week?" asked the elderly lady sarcastically. "Honestly, you work yourself too hard, child. A break every now and then wouldn't kill you"

"Take a break?" questioned Makoto as she started washing. "What would I do then? Sit around with nothing? Sorry, but work seems much more interesting at the moment"

"Kino, Kino, Kino. You fool yourself! A beautiful young lady like yourself has plenty to do outside of work. You need no friends to be able to go out, you can go and still have just as much fun. Be the daring youth that I know you are! Avert your energy into something more worth while"

Makoto sighed. "This is worth while"

"Oh, pish posh!" exclaimed the lady. "I've seen the way you look at the photographs of your friends. I've heard the tone of your voice whenever you speak of them. The look in your eyes shows that you're just trying to convince yourself of a lie! This job was not all you'd hoped it to be! It is not at all worth the distance from your friends or the life that you've given up to be here"

Makoto smiled. "You're wrong," she stated softly but with firmness.

"Am I?" asked the lady with a raised eyebrow.

Makoto nodded. "I've given up a life way before I ever decided to come here and at last I've gotten it back. It's my life now, I've chosen it," she said proudly. "You don't know how long I've waited for the time that I could finally say that truthfully"

"Strict guardians, huh?" replied the lady.

"I guess you could say that"

"So…" said the lady looking at Makoto sideways, "You choose to work your life away"

"Maybe," teased Makoto with a wink.

The elderly lady shook her head lightly and chuckled a bit. "Dear, I'll just be bluntly honest with you. There are plenty of wonderful, strong, educated"

"Not again," complained Makoto.

"Now, now, let me finish," said the lady with a wave. "There are strong, educated, tall, handsome, cunning and romantic young men all around here. And the best part of it all is that they're soldiers! You know they'll be able to protect you! There are plenty of different kinds of them. You've got the nice shy ones, the rough edgy ones and so on. You've got your pick right in front of you and they're all just waiting to meet a beautiful young lady like yourself"

"Oh, Irma"

"No, Makoto. You've got a lot to offer them. You're pretty, tall, can cook, clean, you have beautiful eyes, loyalty, a sense of humor and you are a hard worker. They'd be lucky to get a girl like you on their side." cried Irma as she flung her arms into the air.

"As enticing as it may sound," started Makoto. "I'm not interested"

"So you'll waste your days in a kitchen cooking and cleaning for a rich young lady who has yet to even thank you or meet you face to face." commented Irma somewhat bitterly.

"No," replied Makoto. "I'll spend my days doing a job that I love and work in a kitchen that has everything that I ever dreamed that I needed. You see Irma, it's not men and fun that I want. I just want to live doing things I want to do with my own choices. I've been down the road where you're always looking for a boyfriend and dating to find 'the one' and I don't want to look right now. Maybe in a few months, but not now when I'm still having the time of my life cooking in pretty much a palace"

Irma nodded slowly and smiled. "Sometimes I think you're just too mature for your own good, but I guess if that's the way you see it then I'll just leave you to live your life. If ever you decide to change your mind and have some fun young lady, you know where to find me." with that she exited the kitchen.

Makoto stared at the empty space in front of her and sighed. It had been four months since she first got there and all she had been doing was cooking and cleaning. As soon as she reached the place they quickly directed her to her room of which was the most elegant and beautiful rooms she had ever seen and then moved her into the kitchen to make her first official meal for Relena Peacecraft herself. True, she had thought that she would meet Ms. Peacecraft face to face, but it never was so. She was a little disappointed but for some reason she was not able to hold it very long. Makoto sighed again.

Irma was right. She did need to get out more, but what would she do. She really wasn't one of those people that could have a good time alone unless it involved being in the kitchen and cleaning. Frustrated, she sat at the counter and rested her chin on her hands. Since when was she so boring? Oh yeah, since she moved out here. It was just that the aura around the establishment itself was always so serious and reformed. Most of the workers were in their late 40s and she was one of the few teenagers so naturally she felt that she had to act more mature in order to fit in better. It really wasn't that hard to do (probably because she barely saw the other workers) but still she did kind of feel as if her dream job was slowly turning into something that she hated.

She suddenly jumped excitedly out of her seat and rushed out of the kitchen. She changed into some sweats and a baggy t-shirt and headed out. There was a forest nearby and she figured she could go exploring and maybe find a place where she could train for a bit. Martial arts were always fun for her and it seemed to always put her in a good mood. There was something about physical challenges that naturally attracted here. Soon, she found herself at the edge of the forest. She could smell the unmistakable scent of trees and nature itself. For a moment she had to just stand there and let the smell soak into her senses. With a final intake of breath, she stepped in. The light filtered in through the treetops and gave the forest a type of heavenly scenery. Finally, she came to a clearing of which was surrounded by trees with blossoming flowers.

"I think I'll just skip the training…" she then let herself fall backwards and a soft thud was heard when she landed on the soft grass. She looked to the side and saw a red rose sitting flawlessly with small droplets on the velvety petals. "Perfect." was the last thing she said as she fell asleep.

Short? Yeah yeah, I know, that's why I put up two chapters! So go on and read then tell me what you think!


	4. Forest Endeavors

Makoto jumped when she heard a sudden blast.

"What the-" she muttered as she was pulled out of sleep. She looked around temporarily forgetting where she was and quickly got up on her feet as she felt the ground shake beneath her. "What's going on?" she questioned.

It was night now and the moon showed dimly through the trees. She still couldn't find the source of the rumbling and the sounds but her attention was soon caught by a streak of what seemed to be gold threads.

"Please say I'm dreaming," she mumbled as she broke into a sprint after the gold threads. As she kept running she heard voices coming from the grove behind her and halted. She hid behind a large oak and watched. There were some soldiers that came into the clearing and looked around. One in particular had come to a stop in front a kaki bag.

"Oh crap," cursed Makoto.

"Someone else is here," concluded the soldier. By then, Makoto was ready to break for it, but stopped when he started to empty the contents onto the floor. She cursed again remembering what she had put in there. She couldn't just leave without it!

"We've got her boss," cried one of the soldiers as he came through holding a young blue-eyed girl with long threads of gold. Makoto's breath then caught as she was reminded of one of her close friends.

"Good," said the boss. The soldier then threw the girl roughly to the ground and Makoto's fists clenched. The girl looked at the ground on all fours and slowly looked directly at the boss as he smirked.

"You will not get away with this," she said confidently.

"No?" replied the boss mockingly. "Well I'd say that I already have. The Gundam Pilots are too occupied with their fight to even notice you've gone missing. They think I'm up there fighting against them. Now that I've got I want, I see no point in wasting time anymore." He then turned around and snapped his fingers. "Pack it up boys, our job is done"

The one that came in with the blond then jerked her up making her flinch and he tied her hands tightly together with a rope. Already her hands were white with the lack of blood circulation. Makoto grew anxious as she knew not what to do. These guys were armed and she had nothing. Sure, when she got close to them, she was pretty sure she could kick their guns out of their hands, but she wasn't close to them so she couldn't as well just run towards them. They would shoot her and then that would be the end of it. Frustrated she leaned her head against the tree but gulped when she heard a crack under her feet.

The soldiers froze as did the boss and turned around. "Someone's here," said the boss. He then pulled out his gun and Makoto held her breath. "You two!" he ordered, "Go look for the perpetrator! The rest of you, hurry up and get back to the base"

Makoto heard the rustling of the leaves as the two that were sent after her inched through the forest.  
'What am I gonna do?' she screamed in her head. Suddenly she looked up at the tree. 'It's better than nothing,' she concluded.

"Turn on the flashlight," commanded one of the soldiers and soon the light was on. "You see anything?" he whispered.

"No," replied the other one. There was then a sudden rustle in the leaves and the other soldier shot up. A squirrel landed between the two and Makoto cringed. These guys were no amateurs.

"He must be in the trees." with that said they started shooting relentlessly at any noise they heard in the leaves. There was a thud that was too loud to be a squirrel so they stopped and slowly crept up to the figure. One of them stayed distant and watched as the other one went up to the fallen object. The one who stood some distance away held the flashlight on the figure in front of his comrade and cursed as the flashlight went out. The other one turned around cautiously aiming his gun at the spot where his partner stood and let his arm drop as the flashlight came back on.

"Everything alright?" asked the soldier who had dropped his arm. The other one, however, did not answer. The soldier then turned around to see what his partner was and quickly lifted his gun again as he noticed the body wasn't there. The other one gripped his gun tightly as he too looked cautiously around.

"He can't have gotten that far," said one of them. The other one nodded and turned to face a falling log…

"You there! Ready the engine and strap down the girl!" yelled the boss.

"Yes sir!"

Makoto squatted next to the second soldier and picked up his gun. She turned it a few times in her hands and gulped nervously as she put her fingers around it with her index finger lightly touching the trigger. She had never held a real gun before and what it felt to shoot it was probably much different than a laser from laser tag. Again she contemplated leaving it there and taking her chances but realized how stupid that would be since everyone else would have a gun and then she'd just become aiming practice. With a sigh, she heaved herself up and cautiously went towards the grove where her bag laid right smack dab in the middle of it. 'Alright, run across, grab the stuff, put it in the bag and go,' she thought as she held the gun firmly between her two hands. 'Who am I kidding? I can't try to hold a gun and pick up all the stuff on the floor at the same time. Knowing my luck, I'll probably end up accidentally shooting myself.' For a while she stood leaning against the tree wondering what she should do.

The blue-eyed blond watched as the enemy soldiers loaded the ship with valuables and weapons. No one was paying attention to her as she slowly cut through the bindings that held her. Now, it was all a matter of finding a way out.

"Let's not get careless with the arsenals," yelled one man. "Are you trying to blow us all to smithereens"

She watched attentively and finally got her route.

Makoto bent over her bag and her possessions. She lifted the envelope and gently placed it in her bag and left everything else to lie on the floor. She threw the strap of the bag over her head to rest on her shoulder and pulled out the gun. She then looked to the sky.

"It's a full moon," she whispered.

_"Isn't it beautiful?" asked Usagi as she sat next to her tall friend.  
_

_"Yeah," said Makoto.  
_

_Usagi smiled and placed her hand on Makoto's. "Did you know that on the night of the full moon, every royal court member that serves the Queen of the Moon is guaranteed protection from all enemies"  
_

_"You're pulling my leg," said Makoto.  
_

_"No it's true!" persisted Usagi. "On a full moon, every loyal guardian of the Moon is protected by the power of the heart of the moon. Pluto told me so herself. She says that's when the silver imperium crystal and its guardians are the strongest! That's why no enemy attacks on a full moon"  
_

_"Well, if Pluto says it's so then I guess it must be true," smiled Makoto.  
_

_"Yeah, just think of it. No one's ever attacked on a full moon. I guess if they did, then they probably wanted to lose"  
_

"Get her!" yelled a voice from some ways away.

Makoto was then pulled out of her memories and pulled her gun up. She ran back into the woods towards the voices and felt her heartbeat quicken. What was she doing? Shouldn't she be running the other way? She pushed every logical thought to the back of her head and forced herself to do something that she'd probably regret later.

The young blond ran as hard as she could through the trees. She could barely see where she was going and hoped that somehow she'd run into an ally that could help her.

"Get her!" she heard as she kept running.

Her hair was now in a mess as her bow was lost in the forest. Her feet were aching madly at the rough contact with the ground but she pushed through the pain and continued to run. She cut through a small puddle and slipped momentarily but hastily got back up but stopped.

The soldier in front of her was breathing heavy as he held his gun trained at her.

"You should've stayed put," he said and she paled as time seemed to slow. The others had caught up now and stood watching as he cocked his gun and pulled the trigger. She closed her eyes and suddenly felt something collide with her side as she was forced to the ground. She landed somewhat harshly on the ground and opened her eyes when she heard more bullets sound off.

'Heero?' she thought as she felt something, or rather, someone lift her gently from the ground. She ran in the direction that she was pressed towards and sank behind a tree as the other person shot into the dark.

"Come on let's go!" demanded the other person and at last the blond knew this wasn't Heero at all.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"No time to talk, gotta move," said the other person as they turned around and shot again. Despite the curiosity, the blond complied with the demand and ran. She then felt the other person stop her and they stood hidden behind another tree.

"Can you climb?" asked the other person. The blond shook her head breathlessly up and down.

"Good, I'll help you up there and I want you to stay there until I come back for you," whispered the guy.

"Okay," replied the girl.

"Ready?"

"Uh-huh," said the blond. Makoto then helped the blond get into the tree and made sure that she was securely placed in a dark part of the branches.

"Don't make a sound," commanded Makoto and she walked carefully around the tree to see if there were anymore soldiers following them. She had managed to hit some of them but she wasn't quite sure how many were left after that. The adrenaline in her body had just kicked in the moment she saw the blond frozen in front of the soldier that was about to shoot her. She couldn't help but feel a little responsible for the girl's safety so she leapt and pushed her to the ground and started running.

'Alright Usagi, let's see if your court really is protected under a full moon,' thought Makoto with a smirk. She walked slowly through the forest with her gun drawn and tried her best to listen out for any clues that someone was out there.

The blond sat tensely in the branches as she saw a soldier walk beneath the tree. Her eyes widened as he looked tentatively at his surroundings. She turned slightly making the leaves rustle and the soldier tensed and put his back against the tree. Fretfully, she sat there hoping that she was not visible and constantly kept wishing that the one helping her was okay.

Makoto heard the tree leaves rustle around the area that she had left the blond and tensed. She squatted behind a bush and looked for a way that she could get around unseen to the blond. Once again, Makoto turned on her climbing gears and jumped onto the nearest tree. She almost felt like Tarzan leaping onto the trees next to her and froze as she saw the soldier at the base of the tree where the blond was.

The soldier stuck his head out a little to look behind the tree and quickly brought it back. He then stepped out from behind it and crept through the woods.

"Looking for something?" said Makoto and he turned around swiftly to be met with a balled fist.

He stumbled backwards and pulled out his gun and shot. Makoto cringed at the sudden pain and gripped her shoulder. The soldier then pulled the trigger again to find his gun empty. Makoto grinned and did a sweep kick making him fall to the ground. He hastily got back onto his feet and threw a punch at Makoto. She blocked it with her left arm and brought a balled fist hard into his gut. He keeled over in pain and landed flat on his face.

Makoto pulled her right hand back to her left shoulder and held the gun in her free hand. 'I guess full protection doesn't exactly mean I'll be injure free,' she thought with a scoff.

"Hey," she whispered coarsely. "It's safe to come down now"

After a few minutes of rustling, the blond then came down from the tree and followed Makoto.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Makoto nodded and just led her to the outside of the forest. There were no apparent soldiers following them so their jog after that was pretty much uninterrupted. Every now and then they would stop just in case and then they'd be back on their way.  
When they reached the outskirts of the forest, Makoto suddenly collapsed.

"Are you alright?" asked the girl again.

"I'm fine," replied Makoto stubbornly trying to lift herself from the ground. She then heard footsteps coming closer and she tried to pull up her gun but it was shot from her hands.

"No!" cried the girl. Soldiers suddenly came to view and encircled Makoto who was on her knees. They all had their guns out and aimed them at her.

"Ms. Relena Peacecraft, you're safe now." said a girl as he rushed to the blonde's side.

'Relena?' thought Makoto. 'Hnn, figures I'd run into her in a crisis and not on regular circumstances,' thought Makoto as she let out a light laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked one of the soldiers in a threatening tone.

"If I wanted you to know, then I would've told you," said Makoto and grimaced as she heard her words. Why did she always have to say things like that just to make it worse?

The soldier growled and cocked his gun as if he was going to shoot it.

"No, leave him alone!" yelled Relena defensively. "He helped me"

"I'm sorry Princess, but we cannot let him off so easy. We don't even know where he comes from"  
At this, Makoto shook her head in disbelief. Four months of cooking for Relena and she had to meet her in the middle of a battle. Then to top that off, she was most likely going to be placed in some kind of prison until further questioning and may even be convicted of being a trained spy who was sent to sabotage Relena and kill her. Goodness only knew that no regular cook had the ability to run through a forest with multiple injuries and fight trained soldiers. She dropped her head and cursed Irma for even making her feel like she needed to go outside for once. From now on, Makoto promised herself to never listen to what other people said and to just trust her instincts. After all, she didn't get into any trouble until someone else put thoughts into her head that she needed something that she knew she didn't.

"It's for your own safety, Princess," said one soldier. With wide eyes, Relena watched as they cuffed Makoto and shoved her away.

"Hey, you wanna take it easy there buddy?" asked Makoto sarcastically. The soldier just ignored her and she exhaled. They led her back to the castle and locked her in a bright white room with a mirror. She looked herself over and shivered in irritation as she noticed all the dirt that clung to her clothes. She hated when there was dirt that she couldn't clean. She still had her hands cuffed behind her as she sat on a chair facing a table with an empty seat. It seemed that the small battle outside had ended cause everything had finally stopped shaking.

She sighed and slumped in her chair. Right now the viewers on the opposite side of the window watched her every move quietly. 'What luck,' thought Makoto. The door then opened to reveal two men walking in. One of them had long white hair and the most stunning blue eyes she had ever seen. He was tall in a clean white uniform and walked nonchalantly to the empty seat. The other man was younger looking and had innocent sapphire eyes with sandy blond hair. He nodded politely towards her and pulled a seat besides the other man. All the while, Makoto stiffened under their gazes and found it difficult to sit still.

"Relena tells me that you saved her in the woods," said the man with long white hair. Makoto remained silent and just nodded. "Now I hope you'll understand then why we have treated you in such a manner. Though you have indeed indebted us by saving her, we still have minds to wonder why…" He then commenced rubbing his chin in wonder.

The innocent sapphire, however, stared gently at her as if he was silently pleading that she would give the truth and that it would be of her loyalty to their cause.

"Tell me," started the white haired man. "What were you doing in the forest"

Makoto blinked ridiculously as she thought about the question and slightly panicked. If she told them that she went out to train, then they'd probably try to stick her for being a spy or something. If she told them she went out there to relax, then that would just sound lame and she'd have to explain herself. Goodness new that there were plenty of signs that prohibited stragglers or tourists from going in there. Only authorized personnel were permitted to enter into the forest and she was not one of them. 'Oh great,' thought Makoto.

"Well?" Makoto looked at him then moved her gaze to the side to avoid his hard stare.

"I wonder," spoke the innocent sapphire. "If the good sir is too tired to be interrogated, perhaps we should consider allowing him to clean up and rest. After all there are many others that seem more problematic than he." he said motioning towards Makoto.

The other man looked to him skeptically then slowly nodded his head in agreement.

"I suppose that for the time being, the interrogation will cease until you've gotten rest," he said hesitantly. "But know that you'll be watched carefully until further consent is given. Until then, adieu." With that said, he stood from his chair and exited. The innocent sapphire followed him and Makoto sighed. An elderly lady with four soldiers around her then came in and led Makoto out into a different room.

"Here are a change of clothes," said the lady pointing to the pile on the drawer. "They should fit well"

Makoto then felt the cuffs drop from her wrists and brought her hands to her view and moved her fingers as if they weren't real.

"Come along now, we don't have all day," said the lady impatiently. She handed the pile of clothes to her and gently pushed her towards the bathroom. Makoto entered the bathroom and soon heard the door shut behind her. She could hear the lady usher the soldiers away and began making the bed that was in there. Makoto placed the clothes on the sink and turned on the shower. She melted in the warmth and sighed. When she got out she looked at the clothes and put them on. They were men's clothes and she suddenly realized that everyone had thought she was a man. She looked at the door and imagined the reaction she would get from the lady and cursed as she realized that since she was female, the interrogators would probably be more suspicious of her intentions in saving Relena Peacecraft. With a huge sigh, she slowly turned the knob and exited the bathroom.

"Ms. Normandy had other things to tend to so I'll be the one making-" she dropped the sheets. "M-Makoto"

Makoto let out a say at the sight of the person and sunk into a nearby chair.

"What are you doing here?" said Irma. "Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked but before Makoto could answer, Irma went on a spiral of theories. "That's probably why you never go out. You've already gotta man! So you've switched places with him in order to keep him out of trouble?" she said with a raised eyebrow and Makoto shook her head in disbelief.

"Are you one of those strange people that are female by day and male at night?" she asked getting even more excited. "Is that why you're afraid to go out? Do you-"

"Irma, no, just stop okay? I was the one in the forest that saved Relena Peacecraft"  
At this Irma froze and suddenly began to nod in response. "That makes sense then," she said. "No wonder..."

"No wonder what?" asked Makoto.

"No wonder you act the way you do," she said simply.

"What do you mean?" asked Makoto suspiciously.

"Well, it explains why you're single and uninterested in going out," she said nonchalantly. Makoto's eyebrow rose as she watched the elderly lady in front of her. Sometimes, it was hard for her to remember that this lady was twenty years older than her because of the way she acted, but she figured that it was probably due to the fact that she had been the youngest worker in the castle for the past years and never grew out of her youthful attitude.

"How would that explain why I'm single?" asked Makoto getting slightly annoyed.

"Oh, well, if you were able to fight off trained soldiers single handedly and get out with minimal injuries, then it shows how abnormally strong you are for a girl and sometimes that can be real intimidating for a guy"

"How so?" asked Makoto.

"Well, the possibility that you could kick their butts whenever you wanted and that you'd most likely be the one to fight off muggers and he'd be the damsel in distress. It kind of demoralizes them and questions their masculinity," she said with a shrug. Makoto then sunk deeper into her seat and rubbed her temples.

"I don't mean to bring you down, sweetie. It's just the truth. Besides, a girl like me gets a lot of reassurance when one of their best friends is a skilled fighter. Now all my ex-boyfriends won't worry me too much when I've got you to back me up," she said with a wink. Makoto laughed lightly and threw a towel at Irma playfully.

"You're crazy," she said.

Then Irma's features suddenly changed into a serious façade.

"You know," said Irma in a whisper. "I can help you find a way out of this"

"Where is he?" asked Relena.

"He's been put in a room until we can find time to properly question him," replied Zechs. "He saved me," she said. "There's no reason to-"

"He was in a forest that was forbidden to anyone other than authorized personnel and is unknown to any of our records. For all we know he could be a spy"

"Brother, I-"

"We cannot let him go, Relena," said Zechs sternly. "And that's final"

"Hey Quatre," called out a young boy with braided chestnut brown hair. "What's the word about Relena?"

"She was saved by a straggler in the forest," replied Quatre. "The man's being questioned first thing tomorrow."

"Interesting," said the chestnut brown haired boy. "Do we know where he's from?"

"Not a clue," said Quatre.

"Hnn, figures."

"Tonight's not going very well is it?"

"Nope," replied the boy. "Hey, did you know the chef ran off? She disappeared in the mist of all the action! They say they've got to think harder on how they hire people for these positions."

"That's a shame," said Quatre. "She was a very talented chef."

"Tell me about it," said the boy while he rubbed his stomach. "Tonight's going to be rough."

That's it for now. Please review guys and tell me if it gets too redundant. The last thing I want to do is continue the story when there's a lot in the plot line that I should fix. So tell me what you think whether your disappointed, anxious, whatever, just let it out! I'll see you guys next time!

JPandS

P.S.

I'm sorry if there are a lot of grammar mistakes. It was painfully difficult trying to upload the chapters and when I went to preview them, I pretty much had to rewrite a whole bunch of it. So I may repost these chapters just so I don't have to suffer the pain in seeing all of the question marks, periods, ect. that were erased for some odd reason. Not to mention, the spacing may be a little off. Other then that, there's nothing more to say.


	5. Is He Good?

"Relena, are your alright?" asked Quatre softly.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you," she replied. He nodded in response and padded outside towards the room where Milliardo was most likely waiting.

Relena stared at herself in the full body mirror and took notice of the bruises on her arms. She had been knocked down hard by that man and had bruises to show for it but I guess that was better than being dead. She sighed. He deserved to be set loose despite his intentions on saving her. True, it was suspicious how he had suddenly showed up out of nowhere, but if he hadn't then…well she just didn't think of that. She covered the bruises along her arms with her long sleeves and walked regally out of her room. It was a long night for everyone including her, she was ridden with guilt at the treatment that was given towards her savior and had attempted to sneak a visit, but Milliardo had known her too well and left heavy security around her room. First, it was Heero who had guarded her door and Quatre had taken duty on the balcony being the most trusted by Milliardo.

She curtsied before her brother and stood straight.

"I want to watch the interrogation," she said trying to keep out any signs of emotion.

"Fine," said her brother and she looked at him briefly at his shocking compliance. "But don't expect us to change our tactics to suffice for your compassion towards him." She frowned at this but nonetheless nodded as he walked away.

"Bring him in," ordered Milliardo and the soldiers went obediently.

"Excuse me ma'am, but I need to see your identification and access card."

Obediently she showed him her ID and access card and he nodded.

"Thank you, right this way," he said stepping back and pointing down the path that was previously blocked by the large black steel gates. She pulled the truck forward leading two other vans that fell close behind her. She rubbed her blood-shod eyes tiredly and continued on.

"Sir," said one soldier somewhat nervously.

"What?" said Milliardo in annoyance.

"We have a problem concerning the prisoner…"

Milliardo's features suddenly hardened into a bitter glare. The soldier stuttered.

"H-h-he-"

"What happened?" came a loud and obnoxious voice that Milliardo had gained a great annoyance for. 'Don't tell me…'

"I was what?" she said loudly. "Get your hands off me, I didn't ask for your help!" she hollered unceremoniously yanking her arm from he medic that was trying to hit her. "Aren't you married?"

"Ma'am," said the medic.

"Shut-up!" she yelled. "I don't have time for your cheep antics! Besides, married men no matter how cute, strong and handsome they may be do not attract me!" The medic frowned. She was obviously hit hard on the head from what he could see.

"What is she doing here?" asked Milliardo coldly.

"She was found unconscious in the captive's room sir. She doesn't seem to remember anything from last night."

"And the prisoner."

The soldier stuttered. "G-gone, sir."

Milliardo could feel the blood rush to his head starting to boil. Why was security slipping so much lately? His fists were shaking and were clenched so tightly that you could see the color draining out of his knuckles. Someone was going to pay for this.

Makoto lazily finished unpacking the rest of the groceries. A full night of grocery shopping must have made her sick of food and she had never imagined that possible. Seems Irma had a friend that had keys to a grocery shop and agreed to open it for Makoto. Irma had to do something in return but what it was didn't concern Mako. She sighed as she rummaged through the cooking utensils finally pulling out a wooden spoon. A simple breakfast would be good today.

She yawned as she pulled out the eggs, bacon bread and ingredients for pancakes. Hopefully, Ms. Peacecraft wouldn't mind having something that wasn't gourmet. She began to stir the batter of pancake mix thinking about last night's little splurge of action. Irma had purposefully knocked herself out with some kind of drug that was odorless and all together impossible to find if they were to run blood tests. Mako's instructions were to get off castle grounds, find the grocery shop owner and get enough groceries that would suffice for a morning long shopping trip. The story was as follows.

She went shopping for groceries because the food supply in the pantry was running low. She would have been back sooner but she noticed the small war waging and couldn't find a way to get back in without getting blown up! It sounded good enough. Strangely though, Irma was able to come up with this whole scenario long before Mako could even blink. She had already got an alibi; she provided fake witnesses to confirm her story and even managed to get Mako out without being convicted as an accomplice. She was bewildered, to say the least, at Irma's quick thinking. She never really imagined that she was capable of such talent…

Mako quickly snapped out of her reverie as she heard soldiers marching down the hall. She had to make sure to be extra careful now, no slips and absolutely no fighting. Sure she really wasn't known amongst many of the workers but she still felt as if now they would be paying a lot more attention to everyone. Or at least she would if she was in charge of security. Breakfast was soon ready and she dispersed the food amongst different plates.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight plates. One for Ms. Peacecraft and the rest to whomever else ate with her. She never really served them personally she just left it for the butler to take. Soon enough, the butler came in slightly bowing as he took the plates. She sighed before getting up to walk to her room. She walked in starting her usual routine and stopped in mid-step. She reached into her pocket to grab something but it wasn't there! Her throat suddenly went dry as she realized where she had put it. Her khaki bag held the letter and the picture she had received from Haruka. She dropped hopelessly onto her bed. What was she supposed to do now?

Relena walked cautiously through the forest. Milliardo had changed his mind and did not allow her to view the interrogation, but other news told her that the man had gone missing making Relena feel a bit at ease. She retraced her steps from the night before remembering the feeling of distress and panic. She imagined that she never quite ran so fast in her life! She was shocked at how long woods had stretched out and wondered how she could have covered ground so quickly. I guess when you're caught in the moment you don't really care about the distance or the time.

He saved her at this spot. She stopped as the memory flashed through her mind. It happened so fast that she could hardly remember what happened next. All she knew was that she had felt the greatest sense of appreciation that she had nearly forgotten that the enemy soldiers were still there. He saved her…he…Relena felt a sense of estrangement fill her gut as she repeated this. He…something didn't seem right. When she was saved once by her brother she vaguely could recall the rough strength in his arms. She was hurt to say the least most likely because he did not save people often like this. He always saved them in a robot or mobile suit, never on a hand-to-hand based fight. Even Heero being so skilled at both air battles and ground battles wasn't quite as gentle as this man's help. It hurt, yes, but after that push all seemed so soft. It seemed as if he had been doing it for a long time.

Relena sighed softly. She felt strange again. How come she couldn't envision his features? Every time she tried she always saw a picture of Heero, but it wasn't him, it was someone else. Her head hurt now. Thinking about it had become too troublesome. Slowly she turned from the spot suddenly catching a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye. She looked over in curiosity walking slowly towards it as if it would be scared away if she made any sudden movements. She reached for the item on the floor so deeply covered in mud that she was shocked she even noticed the small bit that was still showing through. Her heart raced as she touched the fabric and felt excitement urging her to pull it out. She did nearly falling back for lack of balance and caught herself with her feet.

It was a bag. It must have belonged to him. She smiled with excitement and suddenly frowned as she realized that the bag would be taken out of her possession if she were seen walking with it out of the forest. She had suddenly become loathsome of the muddy _thing_ as she knew the only way to get out with it was to hide it under her skirt. Thank goodness she wore a dress today!

She reluctantly hid it in her underskirt feeling the cold mud over her legs. This was not worth doing, but she quickly reconfirmed to herself that she had to do it. If Milliardo had found it then there'd be no telling what he'd do considering the fact that he had ran. If he were innocent then why would he have to escape? She walked awkwardly back to the castle grounds trying to get used to the feeling. Just a few minutes and she'd be able to get in her room and get it out.

The guards nodded as she passed by and she did the same. She walked slowly up the stairs and was thankful that the thing didn't fall out while she was doing so. Upon reaching the top of the stairs she stopped and released a long held sigh as she closed her eyes. In the next moment she nearly fell down the stairs when she stepped into someone that she had not been paying attention to. She nearly panicked as her footing gave way and put her hands to cover her head. A hand grabbed her arm with ease pulling her back straight onto her feat. This was oddly familiar…

"Are you alright?" came the voice of a woman. Relena opened her eyes to be countered with the view of a rather tall brunette who still had her hand on Relena's elbow. She nodded.

"I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." She said. Relena had now taken notice of the girl's green eyes. So compassionate and tired…somehow she thought this to be familiar. Wait, this girl was in the castle and was dressed like a worker. Why did Relena not recognize her? And exactly how young was she? Most workers tended to be in the late forties at the youngest. (Of course, Irma was the only exception to this.) All others her age were either soldiers or part of the researching and science team.

"No," said Relena. "It was my fault, I should've been watching where I was going." Boy she was tall! Screamed Relena mentally. She was a full head over herself.

Mako frowned mentally and could feel her palms getting sweaty as she stood there. Why was Relena looking at her like this? Please don't say she recognizes me…

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Makoto. Silence was just too uncomfortable for her.

Relena nodded hastily as she realized she was staring like an idiot.

"I'm sorry, you just remind me of someone," she lied. She just didn't want to sound rude by telling her she was staring because of her freakish height. Unbeknownst to Relena though, Makoto had nearly face-vaulted to the floor.

'She knows!' she panicked. "I get that a lot," she said nervously. Relena just nodded in response.

"Say, I haven't seen you around here much. What do you do?"

Makoto arched an eyebrow. Didn't she have a picture to go with her resume? I guess Relena never received it then. "I'm the chef." She said bluntly.

Relena turned bright red with embarrassment. The chef! She always thought the chef was some Frenchman with the typical mustache and accent.

"S-sorry, you must think I'm really stuck up not to know who my chef is," she sputtered as she felt her cheeks heat up.

"Nah," said Mako. "I always just figured you were too busy to have to deal with little things like that. Really I don't mind." Relena looked sadly at her.

"It's not that I don't like your food!" she continued not believing that Mako understood how sincere she was being. "I love it! If anything, I always look forward to having meals from you! Duo especially loves it. He nearly pummeled Wu-Fei when he alluded to taking his plate." Relena laughed as she recalled that event.

Wu-Fei had understood that Duo was madly in love with this chef's food and had threatened to take Duo's food and dump it if he kept pestering him. Sure Duo is a little crazy but they never expected him to jump at Wu-Fei for something like food. Wu-Fei even had his katana out in plain sight and Duo just pushed through as if it meant nothing. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition on Duo's part.

"Duo?" said Makoto.

"Yeah," said Relena. Oh wait, this girl didn't know him. "He is one of the people that eats with me."

"Oh," said Makoto with a nod. "Well, I don't want to take up your time Ms. Peacecraft-"

"It's okay," said Relena. She couldn't explain it but she felt comfortable with this girl although she was obviously cautious around her being as she was the princess. "I'm not that busy today anyways. But I understand if you have other things that you want to do."

Makoto looked at her apologetically. "I do have some work that I need to get to."

Relena smiled. "Then don't let me get in the way of that. Say what's your name?" She asked.

"Kino," said Makoto. "Kino, Makoto." With that said, Makoto waved as she continued down the hall. Relena smiled and stood watching as she disappeared around the corner. What a nice girl. Her eyes suddenly widened as she felt the bag sliding down her leg. 'Oh crap! I almost forgot!' She hastily rushed down the hall to her room and shut the door behind her. The bag slid slowly to the floor leaving a trail of mud on her legs.

"How gross," she muttered. She stepped over the bag and walked to shut the curtains to her balcony doors. She knelt in front of the bag sighing, as she looked it over. She opened the flap and slowly slid her hand in to feel for anything that might be in there. She felt something like a wet photo and paper and pulled it out. The envelope was smeared beyond legibility making Relena's heart drop. She then looked to the cardstock that was in fairly bad shape. The water had splotched up the photo making it difficult to discern any of the faces. She sighed again. She couldn't even make out the clothes they were wearing. The only clear figures were the ones of two small girls and a small grey cat. One girl had dark violet hair with light lavender eyes and the other had a bright sugar-pink hair up in a strange hairdo and light pink eyes. Honestly, how was she supposed to get anywhere with this? Disappointment showed clearly on her face and she huffed as she dropped her hands into her lap. She got up lifting the bag and suddenly froze as she heard something clunk onto the floor.

There, on the floor, was the most ornate pen she had seen in her life. The pen lay perfectly still as clean and bright as the newly crisp white sheets on her bed. She tilted her head in curiosity and bent back down to pick it up. The mud on her hands seemed to slide off the pen making her all the more inquisitive. The pen looked almost like a handle in the way that it was shaped. There were wing looking shapes and a green orb on top with a strange symbol in the center surrounded by some kind of wreath. On top of the orb was a gold star. Her eyes seemed to be glued on the symbol in the orb's center. How beautiful…

Trowa reviewed all the profiles in the filing cabinet. After last night's show they had opted to review the worker portfolios and do background checks over again for all employees and soldiers. Trowa had long since been bored of this task. He reviewed every portfolio nearly skipping some but he knew that one mistake could lead to a deadly consequence so he forced himself to focus more.

Liam Delrieu, the doorman. 58, deceased wife, one child who lives in America, worked for twenty years, family friend, and so on and so on. Trowa sighed. Most the employees shared the same background and had the same story. The only profile that was remotely different was Irma's but Trowa had long since grown tired of it due to the frequent reviews that had been ordered on her. Trowa sighed as he pulled the chef's portfolio.

Kino, Makoto. He skimmed the background and nodded as he checked for any suspicious habits. Nope, she was as clean as a whistle. He sighed as he closed the manila folder and stopped when a letter had fallen out. He picked it up looking over the address. It was addressed to "whom it may concern". He opened the letter looking awkwardly at it. What was this supposed to mean?

_To Whom it may concern,_

_168 hours in a week, 40 hours spent in school, 5 hours extra spent in extra curriculars, 45-50 hours a week for work, ideally 56 hours for sleep and 17 left over._

_Frequent absences, unexplained bruises (lives alone with no boyfriend), fatigue, frequent requests to leave early, bladder trouble, clocks in late or out early, sometimes does not come back home for periods of days._

_Sincerely,_

_Anonymous_

Trowa shook his head. This was the recommendation letter that was given? How awkward. He stuffed the letter back into the envelope realizing that something else was in the envelope as well. He took it out the small card that had the number of numerous schools and countless restaurants. On the back of the card was a simple note.

_For a vague background check just call._

Trowa looked perplexed at the card. Her background check had showed how she was rather normal in her activities the anonymous letter and this card had reason to raise his suspicion. What was this person trying to accomplish by writing this letter. Better yet, who wrote it? He sighed pocketing the card and placing the letter back into the portfolio. This would have to be figured out later when there wasn't any other pressing business to tend to.

_**Weak ending? I know, I just really am having trouble with this story. I was surprised so many people liked this one. When I was writing it I hated it a lot and I still kind of do…anyways, thanks for reading and please review. I'll try to update soon! Thanks again!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I don't own GW or SM.**_


	6. Fired, So Long Dream Job

Milliardo was frustrated. Milliardo was angry. Milliardo was furious. These were the only descriptions fit to match the moods of Relena Peacecraft's brooding brother. Since the disappearance of her mystery savior, he had grown even more tense which she hardly thought possible. Somehow, the escape of an "assailant" harbored questions in the minds of his soldiers of whether or not he was fit to lead them. His demeanor had grown stress-ridden and his cool, calm collective nature was nonexistent. Relena sighed. Though it pained her to see her brother in such distraught, she was careful to keep her most recent discovery a secret from he and the Gundam pilots. If they were to ever discover that bag and the contents there in, then she was certain they would be able to find him and incarcerate him again.

Relena's eyes grazed over the ornate pen in fascination. She fondled the stick in question trying to find its hidden secret. Why was she so highly impressed by this artifact? After all, it was just an object and the ink didn't even work. She frowned as she stared at the symbol in the center of the orb. As of yet, she was unable to find its origins and with Quatre always watching her, she found it difficult to seek outside knowledge. She groaned as she placed the pen carefully in a secret compartment beneath her bed. She sat for a moment in contemplation. Such a curious feeling overcame her whenever she was studying the pen, could she have just been imagining it? Did she feel that way because she knew that it belonged to the person who had saved her life in the forest or was she sorely mistaken? Her head grieved the constant riddling of her mind and protested greatly to her inquisitions. The situation reminded her strongly of the first time she had ever encountered Heero Yuy. However, this person was hardly the stoic person Heero had trained himself to be. The man…she paused in unease. The man…

A pestering knot swelled at the back of her throat without hesitation. She forced herself from the ground as if physically standing up would process in a mental release from her thoughts. She straightened up her dress and rubbed her head as she walked out to meet her newest companion. The sweet blond smiled as she came out.

"Good morning," he nodded before walking beside her down the hall.

"Good morning Quatre," she nodded in return. They continued leisurely through the castle, the sounds of soldiers and workers falling on deaf ears. Quatre observed the princess taking notice of her frazzled expression. She had looked like this ever since that day. Milliardo had asked him to try and get some information from her but he hadn't known how to do so without offending Relena. Even so, Quatre was unsure why they had even extended so much effort into finding the person who **saved** Relena. It seemed they expended more energy looking for a friend than they did looking for the foe that nearly took Relena into captivity. He sighed. He imagined that Milliardo had felt truly terrified that his sister had almost fallen into the hands of his enemies and was allowing this terror to taint his better judgment. He had seen the mystery man as a threat because he succeeded in doing the job he was supposed to perform whilst he took the enemies bait. Quatre's empathy for him was overwhelming. The importance of Relena's safety was evident, but Milliardo's methods of securing her seemed rather unorthodox. He only hoped, Milliardo would return to his senses before they met with real turmoil.

Wufei walked briskly though the castle halls towards the exit, his mission forcing him to be prompt and discrete. He squinted as he reached the sun showered entrance and commenced towards the garage to find his favorite mode of transportation. The sleek black bike glistened even in the shadows of its confines; a small smile creeping onto the lips of the well focused Chinese man. He lithely jumped onto the bike and kicked off the stand. The roar of the machine was therapeutic to his senses, his soul thriving as loudly as the engine. He sped off just as soon as his helmet fell into place trailing behind black thread on the driveway. He was sure Milliardo would lecture him for it but he didn't seem to care much.

Being kept inside a castle to do paperwork was hardly in his nature and the chance to finally go outside and stretch was well overdue. Sure they're feet were wet when they were attacked but other than that their lives had somehow settled into an office job. He cringed at the idea. Someone like him was not meant for imprisonment in a cubicle. The winding road did wonders to clear his mind, his resolve certain that he was meant for action. Though his mission in no way involved serious danger, he still felt revived to be taking on a task that didn't involve staying put.

He pitied the fate of himself and his acquired comrades. Once intractable soldiers feared by Oz were ridden to sitting behind a desk working for a princess. He groaned. Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell couldn't be happy in their current situation it was just unfathomable. Well, perhaps Quatre was at peace but the other three couldn't be assimilating well. The thought dwindled.

He came to a crossing, the intersection yet to be repaired from the commotion of the mobile dolls from their most recent encounter. He veered of the asphalt road and rode into a deep gathering of trees. His heart pounded with excitement as he neared his target. Once the familiar brush of bushes came into view, he skid into the dirt to a halt immediately climbing off the bike. He walked to a thick layer of leaves and pulled at a hardly visible piece of rope that allowed an opening to be revealed. He jumped in eagerly and stared in admiration at his long unseen friend.

"Shenlong," he muttered. "It has been too long."

Duo was annoyed. The newest plan from Milliardo was ridiculous and moreover, completely idiotic. He didn't like it from the moment Milliardo opened his mouth to say, "I have a plan." As soon as this phrase escaped his lips, Duo face-vaulted into the floor. Not only had Milliardo lost his mind with the slip up of security when they lost Relena's rescuer but he was making them pay for it as if it were their mistake. He cringed. Days like this he wished he were back in time where he and the other Gundam pilots flew solo and met up every so often to work together. This constant collaboration system was starting to ruin his personal identity.

He exhaled deeply. It was a round table conference, all in attendance, he himself, Heero, Trowa and Lardo; his newly acquired nickname for the antsy Peacecraft. By the stoic looks on Trowa and Heero's faces, he was unsure whether or not they were going along with Lardo's idea. Though they had been in a time of peace for the past three years, the two other brunettes had yet to really release their monotonous attitudes towards their duties. They both were the same people they were when they fought to bring down Oz as they were now, which was; now that Duo thought of it, pretty admirable. After the long absence of war, he had to admit he was starting to get comfortable. He cursed to himself at the realization. This wasn't him! He mentally argued.

He growled to himself, the words of Milliardo registering as an annoying chirp. The God of Death reduced down to a secretary of Lardo. Sure he wasn't really a secretary but he felt as though he might as well have been one. All he needed was a notepad and a pen and the job was his. He sighed kicking up his feet onto a nearby chair and placing his hands behind his head. Blah, blah, blah, blah, man, he hoped Trowa and Heero weren't considering what Milliardo had to say.

"Agreed." Duo's eyes rolled at hearing this. Nothing ever went his way. The green-eyed man nodded in confirmation at Heero's response and awaited more details.

"Wufei has already gone to secure the place. Does anyone have any suggestions to further improve my proposition?" Milliardo asked looking to the three men.

"No," Duo spoke, shaking his head in pure irritation.

"Good, then I'll-"

"No," Duo interjected again, this time standing from his seat. "I am not camping out in a cabin with you in the middle of no where!"

Trowa stared at Duo as he said this, his own thoughts gearing towards neutral. Heero had just sat undisturbed as Milliardo raised an eyebrow.

"It's for Relena's own good," Milliardo, argued plainly his tone deep and immovable. It was supposed to signal to Duo that the proposition was not really up for negotiation but Duo ignored his unspoken warning.

"For Relena's own good or for your own?" he questioned. "You've been running around here with your head chopped off and you know you need to take a sabbatical so why do we have to suffer the torment of joining you in your madness?" Milliardo's features hardened. He knew the Gundam pilots would take notice of his wavering resolve but he hadn't expected Duo Maxwell to be the one to point it out. He thought for sure Wufei and Heero would give him the hardest time but to his dismay, the braided haired man was fuming in resistance.

"Duo," Trowa took the opportunity to speak. "Taking Relena away from here to a smaller, easier perimeter to control will ease the burden of having to keep her safe from harm. The fact of the matter is that there is too much traffic through this place. With all of these workers, there are bound to be leaks and we cannot afford to examine each and every one of them for their validity. We need to go somewhere else where we cannot be detected so we can devise a plan without chancing the enemy hearing about it."

Duo leant back against the wall arms folded across his chest, his resistance slowly dissolving. Trowa was right, but Duo was tired of following Milliardo around like an escort. The room was silent. Milliardo silently thanked Trowa for the point brought up and was relieved to see that this conversation was nearly over.

"Duo," he spoke. "I understand your frustration. I haven't made the wisest decision so I desperately need to leave and I cannot go without knowing my sister is safe. I know you don't like it, but having the Gundam pilots in close proximity is the greatest defense out there. What will it take for you to be convinced to join us?"

Duo glared at the silver-haired man and contemplated the question. There really was nothing that came to mind that could persuade him to go. A small rumbling in the pit of his stomach brought his attention to a new matter and he scoffed.

"Alright," he said finally. "I'll go on one condition."

Milliardo nodded his head in apprehension towards the American.

"What is it?"

Irma watched as Makoto had finally eased back into her cooking routine. She cleaned the dishes, started the water, chopped the vegetables, added the herbs, wiped the counters and ornately decorated each dish. Her eyes were regaining their same emerald shine, no longer challenged with possibilities of being discovered as the unidentified liberator.

_"I left my bag in there!" she cried frantically. Irma shrugged._

_ "So what?" she questioned._

_ "What if they find it?" The brunette was deeply troubled._

_ "Did you have a gun in it?"_

_ "No."_

_ "Did you have a bomb in it?"_

_ "No."_

_ "Did you have any paraphernalia that might connect you to being a spy in it?"_

_ Makoto hesitated. "No."_

_"Well then, you've got nothing to worry about!" she exclaimed throwing her hands in the air. Makoto's brow scrunched in scrutiny and Irma sighed._

_ "Look," she started sitting the brunette down for a deeper explanation. "If they find the bag, they'll give it back to you and possibly give you a little slap on the wrist. These guys are so close-minded that they wouldn't link you to being Relena's super hero because they think a man saved her. Your bag being in the forest is in no way suspicious. Lots of people venture in there and forget something, as long as it's not something harmful; you're fine."_

_ Makoto nodded slowly feeling her tension slowly leave._

_ "Thanks Irma," she replied, a small smile tugging at her mouth. "I don't know what I would do without you."_

Irma smiled at the memory. She was a sweet kid, this one. It was surprising to have discovered how strong she was. Sure her height was impressive but height never determined the value of a fighter. The fact that this girl was able to wake up unarmed in the middle of a war and defeat a group of soldiers that had been planning this attack was exceptional. Yet, she wasn't quite sure if the brunette herself realized just how much of a threat she was to both Relena's goonies and those that were trying to kidnap her. All she knew was that Makoto was avid in keeping that part of herself a secret for reasons she had yet to discover. The boss sure made an interesting choice in hiring her.

"Hey Irma," the brunette smiled throwing the damp washcloth over her shoulder. "Done for the day?" She questioned.

Irma grinned as she outstretched her arms to accompany a long held yawn. "When is one really ever done for the day?" she quizzed with a wink. Makoto scoffed.

"Ditching, I see," she looked skeptically at the red head.

"Nah," she waved. "Just giving someone else a chance to gain experience in my position."

"How considerate of you," Makoto laughed. She finished the fine detailing of the last dinner platter and neatly placed it on the server's dolly before dismissing herself.

"You seem to be getting back to your normal self," Irma applauded silently.

"Yeah," Makoto replied. "I've been starting to feel at home again."

"That's good," Irma remarked. She glanced forward towards Makoto's door and noticed a note taped near the door knob. By now, Makoto too had taken notice of this and felt a tinge of anxiety pricking at the pit of her chest. At arrival, she reluctantly took the note from her door and opened it. She looked to Irma for reassurance before reading it quietly.

_Makoto Kino,_

_ With a breach in security just weeks earlier, it has been decided that employees of the Peacecraft family who have not served for at least 10 years should be courteously released from duty. The Peacecraft family commends you for your servitude and would like to extend a hand of thanks for your time and efforts. Please understand that this was a hard decision to make and that it was in no way based upon your performance in your duties but rather a situation of which security is our first priority. A car will be ready tonight at 18:00 with a train ticket that will escort you home. Please do not be late as this is nonrefundable. Your final paycheck will be mailed to a specific P.O. box of which you shall receive the information for in the car. Again, thank you for your service, the Peacecraft family is truly grateful to have met you. Good luck in all your future endeavors._

_Sincerely,_

_ Milliardo Peacecraft_

Makoto looked at the note in confusion. Was this really happening to her? In a split second, she was put into a situation of pure shock. Sure security was forced to work harder, but she never expected that she would lose her job because of it. Suddenly, the night that had compromised her current well being was starting to become more loathsome. Her eyes blurred as she stood there registering what was happening. She hastily rubbed away the tears and ran a hand through her thick tresses.

"D*mn." She whispered to herself.

Irma was quiet. She searched for words to say but was momentarily dumbfounded. She couldn't say that Milliardo was wrong in doing this. As a matter of fact, this was probably the smartest thing he had done since that night. She imagined he came up with this idea because of the great numbers of employees. Eliminating those they were unfamiliar with helped to make their jobs easier what with all of the background checks that that probably had to redo. She frowned. This sure put a wrench in things.

"Well," Makoto managed to croak out. "I'd better get packing; my car will be here in two hours."

Before Irma could do anything to protest, Makoto disappeared behind the door of her room. Irma exhaled deeply feeling a slight tug at her heart. A hand reached out for the brunette's door knob but she retracted it. The situation was trying, she knew that. But from this point, there was nothing she could for the girl anymore.

Makoto stared vacantly at her belongings and grudgingly pulled out her empty suitcases and boxes. Her body was motionless. Its okay, it really isn't so bad. Maybe now she would be able to go home and open up that restaurant she always wanted. And, she was starting to miss her friends anyways. Besides, now she wouldn't have to be so cautious anymore, now she could just be her usual self. It would be such a relief…Makoto winced. Despite her best effort to ease her depression, she still wasn't convinced that she could get over this quickly.

She sighed. Why? Why was this so hard to deal with? She was starting to feel paranoid and the reality was that with an experience like this in her resume, she was sure to get another job with the same pay and possibly even more. So going home really wasn't a bad option right now. Her eyes fell in guilt as her hands mindlessly filled her suitcases. It was the idea of going back. Her heart sank as she mentally recognized the reason for her distress. She didn't want to go back. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her friends, it was just that going back made her feel as though she would end up doing what she had always been doing ever since she first arrived there…fighting. So the scouts were at peace, it didn't seem to make a difference. Somehow a strange theory had evolved in the confines of her mind that if she and her friends were together, an enemy was sure to arise.

Makoto pulled her knees to her chest. This was the first time since she knew she was a sailor scout that she felt she was living for herself. She knew it sounded horrible, but for once the world didn't revolve around Usagi and the future of her posterity. It pained her to think about it. She always thought of Usagi as a younger sister and would do all it took to keep her safe, but as she grew older she realized she wanted to live too. Usagi deserved a bright future, but didn't she deserve one too? Though the prospect that she had a job serving another princess seemed contradictory to her stand, it wasn't the same. She didn't have to devote her life to this princess like she had to Usa; she just had to do her job. This was normal. It was what people around her did in life. They went to work to earn money and spent their leisure doing what ever they pleased. The life that she knew, involved appearing as a normal person whilst constantly looking out for youma. She had to work to provide for herself because she had no guardians and then had to defeat evil at any time of day. Then at the end, she would return home…to nothing.

Looking back she was surprised that she had never realized this truth. The truth that she was alone and although she grew to love and appreciate the sailor scouts, they had someone to go home to. Being a sailor scout changed her perspective on life. Her once boy-crazed attitude seemed to dwindle with age. She had tried to date, but life on the battlefield numbed her in a way that she could hardly explain. The men she met didn't interest her, they didn't understand.

Makoto suddenly shook her head. What was wrong with her? Why was she getting so down all of a sudden? It did her no good to dwell on things like this. She looked to her watch in surprise. It was almost time for her to go. She packed the last of her things and zipped her suitcases shut. She cleaned the empty room and looked resolutely at her reflection.

"Makoto Kino," she said to herself. "It's for the best."

The act wasn't at all persuasive but she continued nonetheless incessantly repeating to herself that she would be fine and everything would turn out for the best. She carried her luggage with ease through the castle halls and down the steps to the entrance. To her luck, the castle was quiet and hardly noticed her leaving. She momentarily gasped as she remembered Irma but decided she would just have to write her red-haired friend a letter when she reached home. She walked out to see a sleek black car waiting for her in the front driveway. The doorman, elderly and sweet, hurried over to help her load the car and gave her a comforting pat on the back as they finished.

"You will be missed," he said with a small hug and Makoto thanked him. She looked to the castle and stared. A piece of her grieved the short-lived stay here but she shook it off as she entered the car. She stared at her lap as the car drove off not wanting to be reminded of what she was leaving by seeing the scenery. Wow, her journey had ended. The day she saved Relena Peacecraft would be a great story to tell the girls, she smiled to herself. They would probably help her to see the humor in it all, she was certain of it. The farther from the castle they became, the more excited she was to get home.

"Thirsty?" Makoto looked up in surprise. She had forgotten that she wasn't the only one in the car.

"Umm, yeah," she admitted. The driver was stoic, but he was cute, she had to confess. His unruly brown hair and Prussian blue eyes were enough to make her heart skip a beat, she smiled unconsciously. She could tell just by looking at him that he was strong. How was it that he ended up being a driver then? She shook the thought from her mind as she saw him holding a water bottle for her to take.

"Thank you," she muttered before unscrewing the cap.

The driver watched her carefully through the rear-view mirror. He was shocked to see that she was so young. Usually, the workers were older, more experienced. He saw her drink the water graciously and unsuspecting and sighed. It always disappointed him to see people so trusting. As they continued down the road, he could see her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Five minutes later, she finally gave into sleep and lay undisturbed by the movement of the vehicle. This was far too easy.

_**Well, there you have it! I finally updated this story and hopefully this chapter isn't too boring. Thanks for all the reviews and thank you so much for reading! Feel free to make any suggestions about the story and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!**_

_**Thanks again for reading!**_

_**JPandS**_


	7. So, I'm Not Fired?

**It's an exciting day! In celebration of my first official day of summer vacation, I decided to update this story =) Hopefully it does not disappoint XD**

**Thanks for everyone that reviewed(i.e. update, Da Bomb, AquaTonic, decision pending, Lita of Jupiter, oombala, Lady Light, michiriru88)! As for most writers on here, reviews sure do motivate a person to keep going! So thank you so much for your input! I admit this story was on my list of discontinued stories but I am trying my best to bring it out of the grave. Hopefully some answers to your questions will be answered in this chapter (I know some may be left unanswered as I don't want to reveal too much too soon). Let me know if there are any parts that need more explaining and I'll try to improve/include it in the next chapter. Happy Reading!**

"D*mn, if I knew the chef was this hot I woulda known her a lot sooner."

"She is pretty young to be working in the castle. Were any of you guys aware of her age?"

Shrug.

"Hmm…can we put her in my room?"

_WHACK!_

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"For once try to be a gentlemen."

"Shh, quiet. I think she's waking up."

The room froze in anticipation as the person in question took a deep breath. The brunette's body slowly shifted, her eyelids battling the devastating drive to stay closed. Was she asleep? She hadn't even remembered falling into that state. Her figure seemed to be at a standstill complimenting her excruciatingly slowed mental processing. What was it that she was doing again? Her brow furrowed in confusion, her unknown audience anxiously holding their breath as she stirred in her reverie. The protruding mental block urged her to victory as her bright emerald eyes slowly immersed from their imprisonment. A scaly black pattern greeted her eyes as she lay in delayed registration. The fine crevices of the leathery fabric entranced her inquisitive stare, the presence of any other person currently undetected. For hours it seemed that she remained this way until a sudden crash of realization shot her.

She jerked herself up in shock, her eyes scouring every inch of her surroundings. At the sight of the unfamiliar figures, she jumped to the top of the sofa. Her body was wobbling uncontrollably, her arms flailing in a desperate attempt to balance herself. But, to no avail, her figure unceremoniously collided with an unseen member of the watch party.

"S-sorry," she flustered, her embarrassment temporarily displacing her sudden panic. The familiar Prussian-eyed brunette grunted, his arms firmly securing her stability. Immediately, her mind seemed to venture further into her once thought disposed of antics, a small thought making her heart dance. _"He looks like my old sempai."_ Her cheeks grew brighter in color, as she tried desperately to stifle her romanticist thoughts. She hastily straightened herself up, her gaze purposely avoiding the unruly haired catcher. Her heart was pounding so blatantly that she was sure he could hear it. She gulped.

"Are you okay, Kino-san?" The sincerity of the speaker stole her attention to a well-dressed blue-eyed blonde. He looked in concern for her wellbeing, which secretly poked at the warmth of her chest.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied. Again her mind stalled as she tried to reallocate her current predicament. If memory served her correct, she was **supposed** to be boarding a train back home. She cringed as earlier events were brought to mind, her eyes glancing briefly towards the unnamed man she assumed had brought her here. Still, she couldn't look at him without blushing so she halted the task all together.

"Umm," the sound drifted as she failed to find the proper wording to express her inquiry.

"You're unsure of why you're here?" The blonde earned a great will of appreciation as the brunette looked up in expectance. At the question, she spotted a small grin creeping on the lips of braided haired man wearing a preacher outfit. Hesitantly, she ignored the curiosity for his action and returned her undivided attention to the blonde.

"It was requested that you continue your cooking for us in our retreat," he stated plainly. The answer was unsatisfactory.

"But I was-"

"Fired." The new voice surprised Makoto, a silver-haired man stepping in from the hallway. Upon recognition, Makoto quickly bowed her head in respect.

"Prince Milliardo," she acknowledged. The said man nodded in response, his flawless features unchanged by her humble gestures.

"Ms. Kino. I apologize for any trouble you may have had due to my latest letter to you. I understand that it stated your release but it was only to ensure that you were not followed in your leave."

A fine eyebrow rose in question at his admission, the point he was trying to declare still unclear.

"I don't understand." She stated hesitantly.

"Well," Milliardo sighed, the men standing in observance awaiting his formulating response. "To be frank, we've relocated to a smaller region to better ensure the safety of Relena Peacecraft. You've heard, I assume, of the security breach at the castle just recently?"

Makoto nodded.

"As I thought. Due to this breach, the best plan of action was to take Relena to a safer place where it is easier to protect her. As you may have guessed, that place is here." The brunette's thoughts were relieved as the missing pieces clicked into the puzzle. "Due to your influential cooking ability, it was propositioned that you join us. So to get you here, we had to be sure that your coworkers were in no way alerted of our relocation."

"I see," Makoto murmured, her brain thankfully soothed in its incessant prodding. "So, I wasn't really fired?"

Milliardo shook his head. "No, you were not fired."

Relief coursed through the brunette's veins a deep exhale being released. Though it was strange to awake in a place surrounded by strangers, she had grown grateful that she didn't yet have to return home. So what if she had already convinced herself that the return was something she needed, it was nothing that she would have trouble postponing.

A certain almond-eyed pilot was shaking his head in disapproval. To allow the braided baka to believe he could give conditions like some kind of celebrity was demeaning. This was a mission, not a vacation. So why did they approve of bringing another liability? He examined the auburn chef in scrutiny. Housewife. Though the term was hardly one that he included in his vocabulary, it was the only label sufficient enough to match the embodiment of this woman. The negative connotation stung annoyingly at his flaring dissatisfaction, the girl growing more and more unbearable with every thought. He growled.

Trowa took notice of the Chinese man's obvious distaste for the situation. Though he agreed to an extent that this girl should have never been brought out here, he couldn't help but feel a spiked interest. The card that had fallen from her file days ago suddenly blossomed in his mind, the number protruding excitedly in his memory. What would he find, he wondered. He scanned the features of the unknown girl, an inkling of familiarity crowding his senses. He shook the feeling and walked away, the room no longer able to maintain his consideration. Before they got too comfortable with her there, he would be sure to run a more thorough background check personally. He sighed, the plans for his newest assignment already being decided. By morning, he would be on his way.

The Fall-diseased forest formed an eerie aura of uncertainty to onlookers. The branches stretched their scratching limbs in every direction as if to bar entry to all those who dared come near them. A lone figure, tall with determined sapphire blue eyes, brushed briskly past them, a slight parting appearing to take place as he continued down his course. The long untenured path was nearly indiscernible as he traveled through the brushes towards his destination. His wavy bistre hair blew with the wind on his way, his eyes searching. His step paused as the vision of an abandoned mansion came into recognition. Resolutely, he entered the crumbling building, the interior hardly supported by the beams from its foundations. He circled the building, taking in the disheveled floorboards and clacking windows with a sigh. He stopped in the center of the spacious living area and closed his eyes in deep concentration. A flickering light seemed to show itself timidly in front of the man in sync with his twitching muscles.

"I call upon the power of the stars," he uttered. "Lend me your knowledge." With a deep inhale the light flooded the room displaying constellations and planets all orbiting harmoniously around the sun. His eyes skimmed through the scene and rested on a particular planet whose mass surpassed all those around her. A small smile crept on the corner of his lips as he stood there reading all that the stars had to tell him. Soon enough, he would find her.

Makoto sat at the edge of her bed in contemplation. The men of the quiet log cabin seemed nice enough. She exhaled. Her relief that she was still employed evaded her as she realized the situation at hand. From what she could derive, these guys were no joke. They were the cream of the crop, the absolute **best** of the soldiers out there! She grimaced, the past events returning to again trouble her. If they ever found out that she was more than just an ordinary cook…she didn't want to think about it. The companionship of a particular redhead nuisance probed at her chest as she sat in wonder. Boy she wished Irma were here. She always seemed to have the answers to all her problems. She huffed.

She found herself constantly staring at the last remaining photo she had of her friends and herself for answers. Everyone stood in their school uniforms with the exception of Michiru, Setsuna, Haruka and Mamoru. It was a simple picture, each face smiling pleasantly in anticipation. She laughed. This was hardly a captivation of how they really interacted with each other. If it was, Makoto imagined she would be laughing for hours when looking at it. Her eyes sparkled.

_Hmm_, she mused. _What would Ami do if she were in my situation?_

_ KNOCK KNOCK_. The sound snapped Makoto out of her silent meditation, her eyes moving to the only door present. She pushed herself from her bed and slowly turned the knob.

"Princess Relena," she muttered before fully opening the door to let her in. The blonde nodded and stepped in.

"Hi Kino-san," she greeted. "I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"Not at all," the brunette smiled. "And please, just call me Mako-chan."

The blonde smiled in response. "Mako-chan," she practiced.

"How can I help you? "

Relena sighed averting her eyes to encompass the room in its entirety before expelling her reason for the late visitation.

"Well," she started. "I wanted to bring you a kind of housewarming gift. I know the last time we met I was slightly embarrassed with my lack of knowledge concerning my staff so I wanted to try and acquaint myself."

"Oh," Makoto blinked. "That's really thoughtful of you Princess, but really you shouldn't have."

"No," Relena insisted. "I wanted to get you something. So I thought you might like this."

Relena's hand extended in grip of a plaid pink and white apron hemmed with lace. Makoto's smile broadened significantly at the sight of it. How cute! She thought to herself.

"Thank you Princess Relena, I love it," she admitted as she observed the gift.

"Please," the blonde said. "Just call me Relena."

Makoto looked in bewilderment, hesitation clearly barring her from accepting the forfeit of formality for a princess.

"A-are you sure?" Makoto couldn't help but ask. After all, they hardly knew each other and royalty seemed to have titles that were only ignored in the presence of true friends.

"Of course," Relena persisted. Makoto shrugged.

"Well, if you say so."

Relena felt a wave of relief as the awkward part of this meeting started to dissolve. She noticed a single frame atop Makoto's nightstand and could not ignore the urge to take a closer look.

"Are these your friends?" she asked amused as she carefully observed each person.

"Yeah," Makoto replied as she still marveled at the apron. She straightened it out before tying it around her lithe frame. She looked excitedly at her reflection and laughed. SOOOOO CUTE! She kept musing to herself.

Relena's heart warmed as she noticed the newly acquainted chef and a sandy blonde standing taller than the rest with their arms over each other's shoulders. Makoto had beautiful friends she noted as she examined the numerous gorgeous faces. They all seemed to be so close…the smile on her face fleeted as her vision fell on the sugar pink buns of a certain creamy skinned young girl. As if on cue, the realization of the presence of a violet haired girl sank into her conscience. PINK!

"Wow Princ -er I mean, Relena. I really do appreciate this," Makoto said.

PINK!

"I have to say, this is probably the first apron ever to be gifted to me."

PINK!

Relena's hands were gripped so tightly to the frame that she hadn't even noticed the color fading from her already pale knuckles. How could she be so dense? The pen she had found in that bag was PINK! She shook her head. How could she think that a **man** would own something so feminine looking?

"Relena?" The brunette's hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"M-my apologies," Relena murmured, her blue eyes still deeply absorbed in sudden realization.

"Are you okay?"

Relena nodded vehemently in response as she placed the picture back onto the nightstand. "Of course!" Her heart pounded in her chest, an unexpected anxiety sweeping through her senses. Why was she so nervous? She couldn't understand. All this time she was trying to find the identity of her rescuer and now that she received the answer, all she could think to do was run.

"Relena?" Makoto's emerald eyes were filled with concern.

The said princess looked to the tall brunette and nodded. Makoto's figure filled the black void from that night. Her extensive height, unnatural strength and overwhelming speed all flooded the reserves of her memory. There was no doubt that this chef was in deed the same person that had intercepted the kidnapping operation of the enemy and returned her safely to the castle. Though her gratitude once soaked her resolve to find her identity, a new feeling of cautiousness seemed to take its place. Sure Relena was the type of person to look for the good in people but in this moment, she realized that Makoto had evaded her brother's investigation to resume her original call of duty. Why? She wondered. Why would she hide unless there was something about her that she didn't want discovered?

"I'm fine," she mumbled slowly stepping away. "Goodnight." Makoto arched an inquisitive eyebrow at the princess' change in mood. Was it just her or did Relena seem to be troubled by something? The sound of the door closing brought her out of her thoughts, the languid aura now permeating the room immobilizing Makoto's once gracious avocations. She picked up the photo that Relena had been holding and stared as if it would reveal to her why the princess had changed so suddenly. With a sigh she gave up her search and seated herself at the edge of her bed.

How strange.

**LOL! It kills me to leave it at this point but I think this is a good place to stop for the time being. Please let me know what you think and as always, suggestion and/or constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcomed! Thank you so much for reading!**

**JPandS**


	8. Settling

**Preci: thanks for the review pressure! Write more next time! :P lol **

**blackrider11: wow a week-long car trip is amazing! I've never been on one that's been more than just a day so i can only imagine how long it would feel to have to drive for a whole week! Glad you got back safely and leave another awesome review wink wink nod nod lol =P**

**IkariPanda: haha I enjoyed your pun it made me laugh ^^, as for Trowa, he does tend to investigate first and then share so your inclination to the aforementioned is probably right ;)**

**Lady Light: Hah, I was having trouble figuring out how Relena would make the connection when I was reminded by the lifesaving oombala that Mako's henshin was pink XD so to fix my little memory malfunction, I somehow came up with CH7's ending...hopefully it was appeasing enough ^^;**

**Sumire: I'm so glad you liked it! And thanks for the kudos ;) I too am looking forward to when she kicks butt in front of them, its getting soooo close to that point!**

**toowhiteprincess: Yay! You liked it! I hope this chapter is just as good!**

**Lita of Jupiter: I put some interaction in this chapter, and ah i guess you just gotta read to see if it fits ^^**

**oombala: Glad you liked the PINK ;) haha I was immensely grateful that you brought up her pen was pink else I would have continued til the end forgetting that fact. And thank you for your review! Anywho, hope you like this chapter!**

**Thanks for the reviews guys as each of your opinions truly matter! I try to respond to each reviewer but sometimes I don't due to laziness but I hope you all know I really appreciate your input! I always feel so special when someone comments on one of my stories, even if the review is negative because it means they took the time to read at least a portion of the story lol. **

**Without further ado, here's the chapter!**

Trowa peered curiously into the kitchen at the sound of clinging pans. _Hmm_, he mused. _4 AM and she's already up cooking…_He stood there contemplating whether she used this much dedication often or if the pressure of having her employers in close vicinity pushed her to work harder. His feet shuffled mindlessly closer, his inquisitiveness getting the best of him. Before he realized it, he was looking over her shoulder at the fluffy dough on the counter.

"Sh*t!" Makoto jumped in surprise when she turned, the taller man raising an eyebrow, his lips curving undeniably in response. "I didn't see you there," she said gripping her chest in attempts to ease her climbing heart rate.

"Sorry," Trowa couldn't keep from smiling. Something about her made him forget his unbreakable reserve of cool, calm and collected demeanor. He shook his head. "I'm pretty hard to detect sometimes." The man dutifully picked up the pans that had fallen and dusted the small flour spots from his clothing. "Quite an early start, huh?" Makoto blushed with a nod.

"I actually woke up late," she stated. "I originally intended on letting the dough rise for at least three hours but I guess I'll have to settle for two. I usually always get up on time." Trowa bobbed his head.

"It's the drug in the water," he explained. "Tends to make people sleepier even after they wake up the first time."

"Oh." Though Makoto's response lacked in astonishment, she was screaming on the inside. Was he for real? They drugged her water? She winced, these men truly were no laughing matter and although this guy (Trowa was it?) made it seem as though it was commonly done, she found it difficult to believe for herself. Well…it did explain how she didn't even notice she had fallen asleep…

"You need help?" Trowa inquired. Despite last night's determination to forge a quest in the discovery of Kino, Makoto's background, he felt a strange impulse to stay a while longer and see for himself what she was like. Makoto shrugged.

"Actually, I just have to wait for the dough. I've already prepped everything else." Makoto placed a hand on her hip and looked around, her eyes drifting to the outside. "Hey," she piped. "You wanna see what kind of produce is around these parts?" Trowa shrugged. It wasn't as if she was a terrorist so his investigation could wait a while, he reasoned.

"It's kind of dark," Makoto laughed. "We probably won't be able to find too much til the sun comes up." Trowa agreed, his body placing itself next to hers. She was tall, he noted...at least for a girl, she was. She even managed to stand centimeters higher than his blonde friend Quatre. Honey strands glistened even in the dimmed lighting, her auburn tresses waving with the wind. Her emerald green eyes tugged unconsciously at his heart, the feeling not quite comprehensive to his inhibited emotions.

"So do you always get up this early?" She asked as she seated herself on an old stump positioned around a wooden table. With the poor lighting, she didn't feel like frustrating herself in a feeble attempt to find something worthwhile.

"Yeah," Trowa responded. "I don't really sleep much." He hesitated before taking a stump for himself, Makoto's figure clearly visible in his periphery.

"I suppose I don't really sleep much either," Makoto mumbled before stretching out in a yawn. She looked to the quiet man and sighed. In a strange way, it was comforting for her to have him out there with her. All morning she had been fretting over the miniscule idea that they would find out she was the one in the forest and that it would be the end for her, but when he started speaking with her she couldn't help but feel as though maybe she was just a bit too paranoid.

"So what kind of things do you like to do in your free time?"

Trowa looked up at the question. It had been a while since he had engaged himself in casual conversation…so long that he had even forgotten somewhat how to carry one. Usually, he would have to answer questions involving more important details like security of the Sanq Kingdom or strategies to draw out the enemy. Hardly ever was he actually asked to speak about himself. A throbbing in his chest drew him to recognize a small detail he had seemed to overlook throughout the years. _Hmm_, he thought. _I was unaware that you were still there._ His unspoken claim to the beating organ behind his rib cage amused him to an extent, the question presented by Makoto again sounding in his ears.

"I read." Trowa stated plainly. To be quite frank, it was the only response he could come up with.

"Yeah?" Makoto implored. "I like reading too but I only stick to the romance novels," she laughed a bit embarrassed by the admission. Trowa felt it again. That small tug at the corner of his lips that seemed so foreign to his trained facial features. There was something swelling inside him, an awkward blanket of…was that warmth? He couldn't be sure. Well…his heart was pacing…the void in his chest appeared to be missing…he wasn't cold…

His mental musings were put to a halt as the sound of an obnoxious yawn protruded from inside the log cabin. He could tell already who it was.

"Hey, what's this?" Makoto leapt from her seat, her instincts pushing her to believe that the newly awoken man may have been disturbing her carefully prepared dough. To her affirmation, the chestnut haired American could be seen poking the puffy off-white cushions.

"Don't touch that!" The American looked up in amusement, his sheepish grin and childlike blue hues hindering Makoto from being completely angered by the disruption of her labored over creations.

"Sorry babe," he smiled. "I couldn't help myself." Makoto blushed, slightly taken aback by his shameless advance. _Babe? _She muttered inwardly. He was achingly handsome. His neatly plaited hair hanging over his well toned body and the fact that he stood comfortably in close proximity to her added to his appeal. Not to mention his height, those shimmering cobalt blue eyes and innocent but deceiving facial expressions that made her heart jolt with excitement. She was surely in trouble. If it wasn't their status as the most dangerous men on the planet, then she was certain it would be their undeniably good looks that would bring her to her demise.

And then, her mind was brought scathingly back to reality.

"Woman, where's my food?" A dark cloud seemed to accumulate over the brunette's figure, her eyebrow twitching dangerously. Did he just say what she think he said? Makoto's clenched fist shook uncontrollably, her temper bridling in the wake of the rude incision.

"Well?" Wufei was not impressed. She only had one job and she didn't even seem to be capable of completing it. Instead, she was mingling with Maxwell and Barton? His brow scrunched in scrutiny as he examined the silence-ridden man. Barton never struck him as one to pursue the company of a woman like the braided baka did so he was thrown astray with inquisitions. Maybe the Heavy Arms pilot wasn't as numb to the crippling seduction of women as he thought.

Makoto, for all the things good in the world, forced herself to "be the bigger person" and took a deep breath. One slip up, she reminded herself, and they would know immediately that something wasn't right. OOH but she wanted SO BADLY to kick his chauvinistic 955. Whether he was a deadly assassin or not, she knew it would be well worthwhile to show him a thing or two about why people refrained from insulting her. Luckily, her better judgment was still intact and aided her greatly in her restraint.

"It's gonna be another hour or so until breakfast is done," she managed to release through grit teeth. The Chinese man scowled at the revelation before taking his leave back to his room.

"Don't mind him babe," Duo spoke as he leant leisurely on the counter. "He's always grumpy in the mornings."

Makoto exhaled, the presence of the two brunettes reminded as she still attempted to bring herself down. She sighed. Her appreciation for the tragically hot single men surrounding her was subdued by the single slew of infuriating word composition of the self-righteous Chang, Wufei. She remembered his name solely because he seemed to stare daggers at her just last night. She had mentally noted to steer clear from him but never expected that he would be so fervent in vocalizing his obvious dissatisfaction with her presence. Somehow, she had hoped that he would just murmur inaudibly about his loathing for the situation. Clearly she was mistaken.

Duo watched carefully as the taller brunette with only one eye visible stood leaning against the wall with his arms folded. How was it that Trowa had managed to delve into conversation with her first when he himself didn't speak much? The American picked up an apple as he pondered the question. Makoto was beautiful and being as he was sexually deprived as of late, she shot up to being the hottest woman on the planet. Of course he would go after her but if Trowa had set his sight on the talented chef then he wasn't so sure the pursuit would be a wise one. He took a bite of the apple, the crisp crunch the only thing he could hear as he chewed. For now, he frowned; he would just have to be playful until Trowa's intentions with her were plainly presented.

Relena fidgeted nervously with her fingers. It's okay, she tried to convince herself, there's nothing to worry about. A large lump in her throat prevented her from accepting her meager convictions as she sat anxiously on the edge of her seat peering at her reflection. Makoto Kino was capable of evading a forest filled with trained soldiers and managed to escape even the tight security of her own brother. The realization was tantalizing. And here…Makoto Kino stayed to do whatever she so pleased. Relena grimaced. Her first instinct was to tell Milliardo at once of the great threat that was being housed in their supposed "retreat" but she couldn't bring herself to do it. A seed of doubt blossomed in the depths of her mind convincing her that she had no proof aside from the photo where only she recognized the sugar pink and violet tresses of the young girls. She exhaled. If things were to end badly…she shook her head. The chef would stay in Relena's watchful eye and the moment she did anything funny, Relena would tell her brother or either one of the pilots. After all, they believed in her enough to know she would never lie about something such as this.

With much hesitation, she urged herself to leave her room. She trudged slowly towards the kitchen, the aroma soothing her burdened mind. Gulping, she immerged to see three pilots and the troubling cook.

"Good morning Relena," Quatre greeted happily.

"Good morning," she muttered, her hands clasped in front of her straight-backed figure. The warmth in her cheeks eluded her as she glanced over towards Makoto who was hard at work. What if she is planning to poison the food? If they all ate, then she would have successfully killed all of them without any hassle at all. Perspiration accumulated on her distressed brow as she fathomed the possibilities. Kino was truly in the perfect position to assassinate them and to her dismay; the acceptance of the pilots seemed to be coming with ease.

She found it difficult to seat herself at the table, her suspicion for the female brunette keeping her tightly strung. Duo was leaning back on the kitchen counters snacking on fruit, Trowa was by the sliding door to the back of the house and Quatre was seated across from her.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Relena spoke reluctantly in response to Makoto's question.

"Yes," she muttered. "I did." Makoto gave a small smile before returning her attention to the bread.

Relena felt downtrodden. Usually, she was a good judge of character and the fact of the matter was that no matter how suspicious it was that Makoto would keep it a secret that she in deed rescued Relena; she did not at all sense a single ounce of dishonesty from the girl. From the first time she met her to now, she appeared kindhearted and trustworthy. She frowned. A look in the direction of the chef alleviated a portion of Relena's distrust, the plaid apron she had given her tied securely as she reached into the oven for the freshly made bread. The scene reminded her of the old ads that displayed women in dresses and aprons happily tending to their cooking. Her lips curved lazily upwards, Makoto looking no more than just a cook. Maybe, she could give her another chance…besides, what kind of assassin would marvel a plaid pink and white apron hemmed with lace? _One with great acting skills..._She pushed the pessimistic thought to the back of her mind opting that she was making a big deal out of nothing. Hopefully, this would end up being the truth.

"Trowa, I didn't expect to see you here." The silver tendrils of Relena's brother seem to have a life of their own as they moved gracefully around his flawless features. Trowa nodded in recognition before speaking.

"Thought I would go after breakfast," he shrugged. Milliardo bobbed his head.

"That's probably a better option." Milliardo seated himself next to Relena who smiled at him. This was surprisingly relaxing. Though they retreated here for security reasons, it almost felt as if they were vacationing. His nose picked up appreciatively at the smell of homemade breakfast. It made him feel like a child, the way he sat and waited while Makoto cooked for them. She started placing dishes onto the table in front of him, his heart jolting with excitement. He imagined them all as a family in those television ads where they each sat smiling at the meal prepared by their mother. A coy smile graced his lips as the tensions of the world appeared to be loosened.

"Bonne a petit!" Makoto smiled as she placed the last dish onto the table. Duo and Trowa both made their way to seat and Makoto frowned a bit when she realized two people were missing. Well, actually she could care less if Wufei returned or not but the picture of the stoic unruly haired man kept plaguing her thoughts.

As the others ate, Makoto decided to go seek out the missing pair. She knocked politely on each closed door, neither of them opening to reveal either man she was looking for. She scratched her head in thought as she reached the final door in the hall and again tapped her knuckles on the wood. When there was no answer, she pushed her ear to the door in attempts to try and hear if there was any sound before she entered. As silence filled her thoughts, she sighed and turned the knob. The room was empty. She frowned with her hands placed on her hips. Did they leave without her noticing? She shook her head. That's unlikely being as she was in the kitchen all morning and the front door was completely visible from her position.

The ruffling of the curtains brought her attention to the open window, the breeze chilling the air around her. She strode over there and peered outside to see if they might have climbed out to the back. To no avail, she saw nothing. She turned on her foot and stumbled, a protruding piece of wood sticking out from the ground. She arched an eyebrow at this and crouched over to examine it.

"Kind of an obvious hazard huh?" she spoke to herself. She lifted the wood carefully only to find that it was actually a trap door hidden slightly beneath the rug that lay wrinkled over it. Makoto looked cautiously around her feeling as though maybe this wasn't meant for her eyes. She sat there in contemplation. What was down there? She wondered. Part of her was scolding her to leave the trap door alone and return to the dining area whereas another begged her to investigate.

Conflicted, she finally let her curiosity win her over as she walked carefully down the steps into the underground hideout. Lights illuminated the steel walls as she walked in awe. Who would have thought that there was a whole other building beneath the modest log cabin in the middle of nowhere? The hallway was ended by a large iron door that resembled a hatch from the bank meant to secure riches. Unable to withhold her actions, she pulled on the door and…

"Woman, watch out!"

Makoto's heart rate skyrocketed as her eyes shriveled in shock. Her hand was gripped firmly on the hilt of a katana, her reaction not yet registering in her brain. She gulped as her eyes seemed to grow back to their natural size, the breath that was being held in her chest finally released. She gasped before realizing what she had just done._ Oh no,_ she panicked. She dropped the dagger to the ground, her face flushed with uncertainty.

"B-breakfast is ready," she mumbled before quickly retreating to the others. Once outside the hidden chamber, she stopped in the hall and tried to calm herself down. She was so stupid to go down there! Her cursed reflexes put her in a compromising situation. Why did she always seem to be getting herself into so much trouble? Her stomach ached as she mulled over the possible reactions she might receive from the two men. Her eyes looked towards the ceiling in a silent prayer. This job really was getting to be too much for her!

Wufei was astonished. The brunette housewife who's name escaped him was suspiciously quick to leave. Not only that, but her reflexes…He glanced over to Heero who had walked to pick up the katana that Makoto had caught at the last possible moment. Most people would try to dodge it or hit it away. Only a select few would actually dare to catch it.

The Chinese man wiped the sweat from his brow, his legs moving him next to Heero.

"You think its something worth worrying over?" Wufei asked. Heero turned the katana in his hands a couple times before handing it over to its owner.

He shrugged. "Trowa's checking on her, I don't see why we'd need to investigate as well."

Wufei considered the thought before bobbing his head. Trowa was thorough and any minute detail that she might have left out would surely surface the moment Trowa decided to delve into it. With a nod, the both of them made their way upstairs to join the rest of the group. For now, the brunette was safe.

Red lights bounced off the walls of the Sanq kingdom, people scurrying frantically across the grounds for safety.

"We're under attack!" Someone cried through the onslaught of noise. Screams were drowned by the deafening shots from the invading mobile suits. The civilian workers retreated to the underground shelters as the soldiers dutifully set up a perimeter in attempts to ward off the offending force. They failed miserably.

A fleet of men penetrated the last line of security and paced excitedly through the halls of the kingdom. This was all too easy, the mystery of how they couldn't overrule the power of the imperial army was baffling as they marched. A stagnant figure stood motionless in the middle of the hall, her face less than amused.

"Hold your horses Batman, there's nothing to see here." The lead man scowled, raising a hand for his followers to stop.

"What's the meaning of this?" His eye twitched with anticipation as she stood leisurely observing her nails.

"They're not here," she shrugged. He yanked her over by the collar, her expression still unchanged.

"What?" The redhead's eyes narrowed with annoyance. She moved swiftly, the men silently gawking at her unexpected strength. The man who had gripped her by the collar was now flat on the ground, the woman's heel pressing dangerously harder.

"Touch me again colonel, and I'll see to it that you never live to see another pathetic day of your life."

When she lifted her foot, he darted to his feet, his face flushed with angry embarrassment. The woman stared him down, his figure coiling back to stand with the rest of the platoon. The sound of a dropping broomstick caught each of their attention, an elderly man standing shakily in panic.

"I-Irma?" He looked longingly for an explanation, the redhead smiling softly towards him.

"Monsieur Liam," she acknowledged with a nod. "You should be hiding with the rest of the workers, where it's safe."

The wrinkled man stepped feebly backwards as he looked from Irma to the enemy. "I suppose I am," he uttered weakly turning on his heels and wobbling towards his new destination.

"Monsieur Liam," Irma called after him. She was smiling sweetly, the look a complete turn around from what previously marred her features. The old Liam paused and glanced over his shoulder to her.

"This will be our little secret, right?" The old man's breath caught in his throat as he nodded slowly.

"Of course." He wheezed, the age in his wise voice blanketing heavily on the ears. He resumed his course, the woman staring after him until he turned a corner.

"You there," she said stoically pointing at a random soldier. "Kill him."

Obediently, the soldier disbanded.

"As for the rest of you," she murmured. "Finish off whoever isn't in the underground stronghold. I don't want any stragglers running their mouths." She started walking in the other direction, her attention set on a small wooden box she found hidden in a secret compartment beneath Relena Peacecraft's bed. She opened it, a green orb glistening in its confines. Curiously she picked up the foreign object and observed.

"Now I wonder what this does."

**Choochoo! So…tell me what you think…I think this story is getting close to being nearly complete! WOOHOO! I am so excited! Anyone have any dislikes or favorites in this chapter? Remember, suggestions and constructive criticisms are always welcomed! Hey even a flame if you have one…**

**Anyways, so I started a new fic (ah grimace for all those who know I've got a terrible habit of starting and not finishing XD). Right now I'm calling it "Guardian Angels". I posted a little snippet between Makoto and Heero on my profile so if you'd like to get a glimpse of what its like feel free to go read it =). Also a more in depth, but not completely descriptive summary/abstract is on my profile. I was going to post it here as an author's note but I didn't want it to get confused with being a part of this fic. So if you read it, let me know how you feel about it. Til next time, thanks for reading! And extra special thanks for reviewing! **

**JPandS**


	9. Discovery

**Thanks for the reviews Lita of Jupiter, blackrider11, Lady Light, Ikari Panda and toowhiteprincess! I appreciate it. Also I apologize if the last chapter was confusing. I'll try to revise it when I get time. Hope you enjoy this chapter =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW.**

Trowa was amiss longer than expected, as the tenants fell into a daily routine of waking to Makoto's cooking, filling in time with work, socializing, eating lunch, more socializing followed by dinner and ending in cleaning. Interesting things were learnt about the brunette chef that otherwise would have gone unknown. The men grew akin to her when she told them she had been on her own at a very young age and maintained her independence whilst going to school and even joining clubs. Her dedications to her studies were often discounted, but she still managed to graduate grade school in good standing, which was commendable due to her circumstances. In the week that had passed, each household member had somehow gained some kind of attachment to her that extended past mere acquaintances.

Duo spent most of his time with her trying to learn a thing or two about cooking for himself. The first day, he requested that they learn to bake so Makoto willingly showed him the art of cookies. Immediately Makoto could see how difficult this would be, as every time she would give instructions, he would follow but add something else claiming that it would make it taste better. Soon enough, Makoto just stood and let him take the reigns as he poured in any ingredient that smelt or sounded nice to him.

"Coconut extract. That sounds good right? Hey, smells good too! I'll just put in a little! Ooh, we have cream, I love cream!"

"Garlic!"

Makoto winced. Was he serious? Her eye twitched as he generously added cloves upon cloves. So far, cooking was most definitely not one of the American's strong suits.

The cookie batter was humorously runny as Duo poured in endless scoops of flour to try and thicken it. Makoto hadn't any idea of how he managed, but somehow a sheet of Duo's special recipe made it into the oven soon enough. Once baked, he was so excited to taste them. Makoto watched in amusement as his cobalt blue eyes glistened anxiously while the cookies were cooling, constantly touching until it no longer burnt his fingers. The taste was mortifying. His perturbed taste buds spat out the cookie faster than anything Makoto had ever seen, the chestnut brunette rushing to find something to rid the taste.

"Ack!" He groaned. "How could so many good things make something that tastes so bad?"

Feeling as though he probably should have let the professional teach, he patiently returned to the kitchen and started a new batter. It was difficult, but he withheld any urge to add extra ingredients as Makoto's instructions were followed carefully and deliberately. The end result was worthwhile as he had hardly the motivation to share with the others. After much convincing, and about two dozen cookies downed by Duo alone, he agreed to allow the others a taste.

Quatre was Makoto's cleaning help. Though she insisted that he let her do the cleaning herself, he wouldn't have it and jumped in every time something was out of place. It was amazing for Makoto to find out how many sisters he had and it was even more amazing when he named each one, stating their age and how he wrote to them almost daily. Makoto had only about ten friends and she couldn't even write to them weekly! Her discussions with him as they washed dishes and did various other chores, were comforting. She felt like she could tell him anything good or bad and he would never once look at her differently or even judge her. His wise and thoughtful counseling eased much of her internal warfare, as she often felt burdened by constant possibilities of being discovered for being stronger than what was expected. With each day, she contemplated the reason she even felt that she would have to keep her rescue mission a secret as the people around her started to seem more humane with every experience.

Relena's strange behavior finally left completely as she often peered in on Makoto to see what she was doing. Makoto had decided that curtains were needed for the living area windows and sewed a new set with Relena right beside her. Though there were many differences between Relena and Makoto's own princess, she couldn't help but feel like they were one and the same. Relena's goals of peace amongst the people and how she in no way wished to be a monarch over society touched Makoto. She had known Relena to be well-educated and high class but knowing her ideals helped Makoto gain a deeper appreciation for her.

Milliardo and Heero, kept to themselves for the most part. Both always consumed in their own work and occasionally stepping in for a word with her about little things like when to expect dinner or if the pantry needed anything specific. There was only one occasion on which they "hung out" with the brunette and that was the day that they had gone fishing. Being as they were supposed to stay low key, trips to the nearest town for produce were pretty much dismal. So, when they wanted to stray away from the frozen meats filling their freezer they would go fishing.

The trip was ridden with silence. Only two at a time would ride in the canoe while the other person stayed on shore looking for berries or wood for fire. At first, Makoto had suggested she stay and do all the gathering while they fished, but for some odd reason they wouldn't allow it. Milliardo was the first to go in the canoe with her and after a long period of no speaking, he suddenly started inquiring of how she felt about the Sanq kingdom. She told him it was beautiful and that their quest for peace amongst their land was commendable which he seemed to appreciate. He had acquired a quiet respect for her as he continued speaking with her and she as well gained one for him. When it was her time to fish with Heero, she found herself almost believing she had gone out alone. After a while of her line being cast, she felt a HUGE tug and was immediately pulled to her feet. Taking notice, Heero had to come over to try and help reel in the fish but to no avail, the canoe had toppled over bringing the two inhabitants with it. Needless to say, the monstrous fish got away.

Then something curious happened. Makoto had jumped in surprise at the mere sound of it, her eyes searching for the producer. Astonishment marred her features as she realized the smile on the face of the usually stoic soldier.

"You're lousy at fishing."

He was laughing! After much convincing that she wasn't just imagining it, she started laughing too. They swam to shore to meet the questioning stare of Milliardo and dried themselves off. As could be expected, Heero returned to his normal self and they each walked back to the cabin.

And finally…Wufei. Ever since the little incident underground, he seemed to find much joy in harassing her. He would provoke her anger by constantly addressing her as "woman" and when she would tell him her name he would shrug it off. It was difficult for her to keep from "one-upping" him but by some tremendous miracle, she managed. It wasn't until she caught him smiling that she realized he was toying with her, which added even more frustration. Who would have thought that the Chinese man actually had a sense of humor? Speaking of which…

"What're you up to now, woman?"

"Do you really have to ask that question? I'm doing what I usually do."

She kept her attention trained on the chopping of the vegetables, her mind urging her to ignore whatever else may come from the tormenting Chinese man. He scoffed. He grabbed a knife from the drawer and pulled out another cutting board with a couple of onions.

"I might as well help otherwise it'll take you forever to finish cooking."

She huffed. Silently, they diced their vegetables and neatly transferred them into a large bowl. Makoto supposed he could be useful sometimes…

"We're going hiking today, they wanted me to ask you if you'd be interested."

Makoto glanced to her side and contemplated the invitation. She loved nature and hikes were amongst one of her favorites, so why wouldn't she?

"Sure," she said. "That would be nice."

Immediately, she recalled the time that she had decided to take a nature trip in the Sanq kingdom and quickly shook it off. Most likely, they wouldn't be attacked on this trip.

Wufei was surprisingly quiet today. His usual provocations were miniscule as he just cut the onions. Why, the only insults counted thus far were two and usually, he would dish out at least ten every two hours. Something was not right…

"We're leaving in an hour."

The Chinese man was discrete, his chopped onions sliding carefully into the bowl. He rinsed the knife and cutting board before parting to tend to whatever was needed for the hiking trip. Makoto stared awkwardly after him. Though the thought was a bit ludicrous, she couldn't help but feel like he was planning something…with a groan she forced herself to shake it off. Sometimes, her paranoia just didn't rest. People were allowed to be nice after days of being rude, right? So it wouldn't be such a stretch to assume that Wufei was finally turning a new leaf of kindness…

Irma was annoyed. After the invasion of the Sanq kingdom, her cohorts seemed to believe that they could now contact her whenever they pleased. What they failed to realize was that she was still posing as a simple employee in attempts to maintain the trust she had gained from other true workers. She told the general and his mindless cronies to leave and at the moment, the survivors of the attack flocked to try and rebuild a comforting sense of order so that the return of the royals would be fluid. She of course would be eagerly assisting them to add more to her alias but the incessant chirping of her cell phone made it nearly impossible for her to do.

"What?" She spat angrily. Her eyes darted around her to be sure she was out of ear range from any possible bystanders.

"Irma, the pen you gave us."

She scoffed. The pen. She had just recently remembered how useless it was as she recalled a situation where she had seen it before. She imagined her interest was spiked because there was some familiarity involving it and it was hidden away in Relena's room. So because she couldn't discern exactly why she recognized it, she somehow gained the notion that it was something of value.

"You called me for _that_?" It was hard to hide her spite, as her tone dripped lucidly with acid. "It's a piece of junk."

The man on the other end fumbled excitedly for his words. "N-no," he replied. "Its amazing!"

Immediately, Irma's body tensed. Her heart raced as she awaited the inevitable explanation of his findings. Just what did this pen do that could be so "amazing"?

"Go on."

"The pen exudes a strange energy that we haven't been able to identify yet, but from our tests in the lab we think that it might be a key of some sort."

"A key?"

"Yes, to a larger source of power. So far, we've been able to draw out small sparks of lightening. Our data suggests that with a proper vessel, we could possibly create enough lightning to destroy a mobile suit…maybe even more…"

All this from a pen? Irma rubbed her head in thought as she shifted on her feet.

"When you say vessel," she paused not quite sure what she was thinking. Her mind churned slowly, the cogs in her brain rusted and worn. It seemed to take a while before her thought process finally caught up to speed and revealed to her what she had ingeniously pieced together. "You mean a person?"

_"What's that you got there?"_

_ At the question, Makoto averted her gaze to the redhead woman leaning lazily against the doorframe. _

_ "This?" Makoto said, reluctantly raising a pink handled stick holding an emerald green orb with gold wings and a symbol in its center._

_ Irma nodded._

_ "Oh, its just a gift from a friend of mine," the brunette replied placing it securely in her bag. _

_ "I see," Irma replied. She could tell the brunette was hiding something but shook the suspicion as she assumed the story involved something dramatic and hardly necessary for her knowledge. "Its pretty."_

Irma couldn't help but smile. Of all the people in the world, they happened to stumble on a mystery that was beyond normal comprehension. Fitting the standards of chef, normal and supernatural? It was too much for Irma to bear. The picture of the towering auburn haired woman scraped itself across her mind and she reveled in the thought of all the secrets she had managed to keep hidden.

Irma flipped her phone shut, the scratching voice of the scientist finally going silent. Kino, Kino, Kino. Her mind seemed to bustle with anticipation as her feet sprung to action. This brunette had no idea how inspirational she was for Irma. All this time she had been planning the demise of the Sanq Kingdom's royals and the power to do it just waltzed right in. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, her hands rummaging through a bag of electronics. Once she felt what she was searching for, she flipped it on.

The black box flashed a green map of the globe and beeped as it narrowed in closer to a specific location. Finally, a small circle blinked rhythmically on a single location. She scoffed. The sector was far from Juuban district, home to the recently fired chef so it could only mean one thing. Makoto wasn't released from duty after all.

"Well, Mako-chan. Who would have thought that you would be so helpful?"

_I hate him. I hate him. I HATE HIM!_ The brunette trudged disdainfully through the brush to a desolate area of the forest. Her sopping attire only worsened her mood as every step reminded her of the horrendous trip taken with the irritating Chinese man. Quatre and Duo had joined them but their presence was often overlooked as Makoto's focus was constantly drawn to the contriving man that had invited her. She knew he was too nice for comfort!

She dropped her pack to the ground and pulled off her shirt and started wringing out the water. _That damned man! I'll make him sorry, I swear!_ Her flurries of brazen threats towards Wufei consumed her as she tried to dry herself. They still had the walk back to the cabin and she didn't want to chance getting sick. _That damned man!_

She untied her hair in attempts to shake out the loose droplets and sighed. All day Wufei had been nudging her purposefully on steep cliffs, egging her with insults and pushing her into things that she had been trying to avoid (example given, water). His strange infatuation with provoking her to again display an act of unexpected skill was starting to get hazardous as now all she wanted to do was beat the man to a bloody pulp and leave him in an abandoned ditch. She groaned. He was driving her crazy!

She looked around, her wavy tresses cascading blissfully down her back, and nodded before taking off her jeans. She should have brought a change of clothes.

Her body stiffened as she heard a snapping branch. Her eyes shot hastily in every direction to see if anyone was trying to sneak a peek. She clumsily yanked on her pants with her top soon after. Cautiously she moved through the trees.

"Duo?" Though the braided man hadn't been plaguing her mind, it was the first name that came out. Wufei was many things, but she couldn't imagine him as a pervert. And as for Quatre, she was certain it was against his character to try and sneak up on her.

There was no response. Her brow creased with concern as she carefully sought out the intruder. Nothing. With a frown, she pulled her hair back into its usual ponytail and placed her hands on her hips. She could have sworn she heard something.

She froze.

Tall, lean frame…

Long bistre hair flowing…

Splicing blue eyes…

Watching her…

She shuddered.

Her muscles throbbed expectantly as though they knew this could only mean that a fight was soon to come. The forest around her disappeared, as all her emeralds could perceive were the sharp features of his form.

…

"Mako-chan."

"Mako-chan."

"Mako-chan."

The woman blinked, her eyes grudgingly moving towards the newcomer.

"Quatre?"

The blonde man looked worried. He quickly pulled a jacket over her before again speaking.

"You're shaking," he frowned. Makoto looked at her hand in surprise to see the small tremors for herself. Was she really that scared? Her eyes dashed back in the other direction only to see the line of trees with no man. She gulped.

"Com'on Mako-chan, let's head back to the cabin." Makoto nodded quietly as Quatre guided her back to where Duo and Wufei were waiting. The Chinese man must have received a lecture because he appeared highly apologetic as his instincts informed him that he might have gone too far. I mean…pushing someone down a medium height cliff into a river could be considered a bit excessive he supposed…

If anything, he reasoned with himself, she should take it as a compliment since he thought she'd be able to handle it. He offered to carry Makoto's pack and she accepted. Though her mind wanted to delight in him finally easing up on her, she couldn't find the joy. Unfortunately, her thoughts were elsewhere.

Makoto lay dumbfounded. She hadn't the mind to figure out exactly what was going on. Nephrite…Nephrite…Nephrite! Her forehead was scrunched in scrutiny. The thoughts in her mind were so jumbled that she wished she could hire a translator to decode it. She exhaled deeply and turned to her side.

She shut her eyes in an attempt to ease her mind into sleep but it only seemed to harbor more apprehension. With an exasperated grunt, she sat up from her bed in frustration. She rubbed her head methodically trying desperately to smooth out the knot that had been dwelling in her mind. The attempt was futile. A small tapping on her bedroom window brought her out of her thoughts. After staring for some time she realized there was no one on the other side of the glass, just the swaying of the branches. She resolutely looked away and jumped.

"What're you doing here?" Makoto whispered, her body readying itself for an attack. Nephrite's expression remained calm, the action offending Makoto as she assumed he was taking her to be of no threat to him.

"I came to see you."

Makoto arched an inquisitive brow, her instincts not yet allowing her to trust him. Came to see her? Did he not remember that he had betrayed her in another life and even conspired against her fellow scouts in this life as well? Just who did he think he was to barge in like they were on good terms? Nephrite sighed.

"Makoto." His deep baritone voice sent chills down her spine, her knees getting weak just as they had hundreds of years ago when he would speak her name. Why did she have to feel this way? Though she had convinced herself that their love was not meant to last forever like Usagi's and Mamoru's, it seemed that a part of her was still hanging on to that slight chance.

"What?" She was surprised by the venom in her voice, as her legs stood weakly. Nephrite's features softened.

"I didn't come to fight you."

Somehow, Makoto knew this. Her heart paced steadily despite her suspicious mind. What did he come here for? Many ideas presented themselves but neither one were satisfactory.

"Makoto…" The brunette tensed, as her silence loomed heavily on the room.

"Alright," she exhaled reluctantly. "What is it?"

**Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! **

**JPandS**

**P.S.**

**It's my brother's birthday today! Happy Birthday brother! =D**


	10. Called to Fight

**Thank you everyone that reviewed (oombala, preci, Lady Light, Lita of Jupiter, Fatal Mars, IkariPanda, blackrider11)! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

"You have to fight."

"What?" Makoto's emeralds darkened as her fists clenched with anticipation. She knew this was for no good.

"Makoto-"

"Don't," she shot shortly. "You're no longer welcome here."

Nephrite observed her with a deep sigh. He thought she might say that but he still had to try. The conversation was going so well until he got to the part he had long been anxious to explain. This was his chance at redemption, his shot at somehow compensating for his past deeds. His heart was heavy as he recalled his memories. How could he allow himself to be so consumed by darkness? More so, how could he have allowed himself to harm the woman he loved?

"Mako-chan." He ignored her threatening gaze and continued anyways. "You accepted this war the moment you accepted this job. Even before that, you were born into it. Your participation is inevitable."

The creased brow of confusion marring Makoto's features was understandable. He knew she had no way of comprehending what he said since the stars had told him many incredible things concerning her. Why he hadn't dispelled everything to her was beyond him as he felt a sense of secrecy because he didn't want to ruin some unwanted "surprise".

"This war is not mine to fight," she refuted. "So long as Usa is not involved, then I refuse to intervene."

Again, Nephrite found himself dispelling a breathy exhale. She was so stubborn and hardly ever wavered in her resolve. He supposed that was the reason he had grown so fond of her before. People that displayed easy submission often disgusted him, but it was never something he had witnessed from Makoto. Her firm standings on her principles and duty were so commendably alluring. However, her stubbornness also spawned opportunity for regret and he feared that she might lead herself down a path of inopportune misery.

"Makoto, there will come a time when you'll have to make a choice. I only hope that you make one that you won't come to regret."

The sincerity coating his deep baritone voice was undeniable. Even his features bore a semblance of warning and distraught caution towards her. Makoto's emerald hues softened irrevocably as she acknowledged his genuine counsel. What did he mean by his words? Moreover, why couldn't he just tell her everything he had been told by the stars? Her mind raced as she pondered the motives behind his ploy only to reveal minute details of what was to come.

"I'm afraid my time here has come to an end."

His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as he encountered her confused gaze. Had she wanted him to stay? Was she ready to forgive him for his betrayal? He grimaced. Though he had hoped she would be able to forget his past sins, he knew it would make no difference. The opportunity he had to come back came with limitations and those limitations barred him from staying on this plane for too long. His first goal was to find Makoto and now that he had, he wanted to be sure that he helped her as much as he could. He imagined now that he had become some kind of "guardian angel" that is, if he was still allowed to be recognized as "an angel". He frowned. Maybe he could just be considered an omniscient counselor instead.

"Why?" It was perplexing to fathom how Makoto's view of Nephrite had changed so drastically. The wave of changing emotions was tiring, her own inhibitions slowly dwindling in the process.

"I died," he answered. "But fate has smiled upon me and given me one last chance at seeing you. My change of heart moments before my death had a lingering affect I guess."

"Nephrite—"

"Makoto," he interrupted. "You don't know how thrilled I am to have a chance like this. I only hope that you will take into consideration all that I have said. I know my credibility is something to question but I promise you I only mean the best for you."

A hand gently caressed her chin as his lips inched dangerously close to hers. In the last centimeter apart, his lips changed course and met with her forehead. He closed his eyes leaving a sincere token of concern for her to remember and ascended. "Be safe, my princess."

* * *

"Welcome back!" Duo stood proudly greeting the tall green-eyed brunette.

In response, Trowa merely nodded and passed by. The unexpected strain in this trip drained him both mentally and physically. It was a wonder how he was even able to make it back. His fellow pilots could be seen sitting at the kitchen table but he continued to his room and placed his bags down. It appeared she was fitting in well here as his brief glance in their direction spotted the comfortable expressions on each person's face. It was good, he reasoned, that they were able to accept her. After all, from his findings there was nothing that condemned her as someone they couldn't trust. He sighed.

He eased himself onto the edge of his bed in silent contemplation. Kino, Makoto as orphaned after the death of her parents. Cause of death, a plane crash leaving the six-year-old girl alone without any known relatives. Four months after their death, a distant cousin of her parents, whom she called Aunty, took her in. At the age of fourteen, she somehow managed to move off on her own using the money willed to her by her dead parents. She chose to relocate to Juuban district where she acquired her first actual group of friends. Many hours of her days were lost to activities that he was unable to verify but he couldn't bring himself to concern over it since his mind was so painfully distracted…

His back slowly drifted into his mattress. Kino, Makoto. His thoughts were jumbled, unable to discern exactly how he felt. She was a sweet girl, he could tell. As a matter of fact, nothing about her really screamed otherwise. From what he had learnt, she was a loyal friend that enjoyed home-making activities, cooking being her favorite. A minute tinge of meager gratification stung at his chest but was overwhelmed by a crashing wave of regret and turmoil. The flurry of emotion was too much for him to bear. He couldn't even remember clearly the last time he had felt this way about anything.

His body shot up from his bed as a cross feeling diced through his conscience. Something was not right. A booming sound of a gun confirmed his suspicion, his body automatically taking action out of habit. Unfortunately, he was too late. Four surrounding men stood a safe distance away with guns steadily trained on him. In defeat, he raised his hands.

* * *

Makoto's heart was racing, her body wracked with anticipation as they stood hopelessly cornered by the enemy. War raged ceaselessly inside her, the thoughts crushing her skull, as she stood motionless. She promised herself that she would no longer intervene in these events. She promised! It wasn't as if intervening the first time did her much good…

A part of her demanded that she do something, the words of her estranged past-life companion filling her mind. Even before that, a part of her would always, ALWAYS egg her to battle for the safety and protection of those in need. It just seemed that he appeared to intensify her instincts. Her heart wrenched as the churning in her stomach worsened leaving her almost to drop to her knees in pain. Stalling the urge to fight took more of a toll on her body than expected. She felt sick.

Relena's eyes were fixated on her pleadingly. Why did she look to her like that? Her sapphire hues were dripping with fear as she silently begged Makoto to do something. Only two men were around her, carelessly holding their weapons as the leader of the pack stood directly in front of her marveling at his successful invasion. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that they would kill her in an instant, it didn't seem to set in as truth.

They underestimated her, assuming that her position as a chef/maid disqualified her as being a threat. They hadn't even forced her to her knees as they did the men, her tall frame still standing with the broomstick at her feet. One quick attack and she could have the leader in her grips…she shook her head. No. If she did this, then after the soldiers were gone, she would have to deal with the suspicious Gundams pilots along with Milliardo Peacecraft, the prince of war. At least with these men invading, she stood a chance at survival. They found no threat in her so they would probably imprison her and from there she could escape. Makoto dropped her head to avoid the piercing stare of the princess. Shame drenched her soul near tears, her emeralds desperately keeping the droplets from being released. The sting of her decision bore no sympathy as it ridiculed her for her insubordination to her senses. This fight was over Princess Relena. Since this princess was not placed under her protection, this princess would not receive it.

The man chortled as he observed the situation. The world-renowned Gundam pilots were frozen in their tracks, again unable to protect Relena Peacecraft, the most sought after royal and politician. The amusement was nearly unbearable as he watched them scowl at him for even ambushing them in the place where they were supposed to stay undetected.

"It's funny how easy it was to defeat you," he gloated. "Not even a drop of sweat and the Gundam pilots are on their knees!" His laughter roared excitedly throughout the house as he settled his eyes on Relena. "Dear princess. Don't look so distraught, I have no plans to harm you as long as you do what I say."

She glared at him resentfully, his smug smile irking her every soul.

"I would never stoop so low as to even consider doing as you say," she spat.

His smile broadened at this, something in his countenance suggesting he had hoped she would say something like that. "Are you sure?"

Relena gulped in uncertainty, her mind trying to discern why he would seem so confident. She nodded her head slowly in affirmation, quickly regretting it as he signaled a soldier to shoot. Her breath caught in her chest, her eyes immediately shedding streams of tears. She held back a whimper when she heard a muffled grunt followed by a soft thud.

Makoto's eyes shot up at the sound, her body throbbing in anticipation. Quatre's body was keeled over, the fabric over his shoulder moistening in crimson. The blood seeped through his sleeves, slowly dripping onto the floor.

"Monster!" Relena cried, her body shaking uncontrollably in response. The man only smiled.

"You brought it on yourself," he crooned. Another wave of his hand, and the soldier standing above Quatre harshly stomped his foot onto the blonde's wound. His body collapsed to the ground his ragged breathing wheezing in discomfort. Makoto stepped towards him, the action causing the two soldiers around her to lift their arms hastily. Her eyes stung, single drops creeping their way down her cheeks. There was something climbing up her throat, the putrid taste nudging her to vomit. Why was it she felt like a traitor by just standing there? She owed none of these men anything but still the guilt was undeniable.

"Tell me princess, would you like to reconsider your claim?" Relena bit on her lip as it quivered disdainfully. The soldier was grinding his foot in amusement as the leader awaited her answer.

"I…" she paused wiping her tears, sobs threatening to break out. " I'm sorry," she whispered coarsely. Makoto winced. The other pilots were fuming in their helpless states she could feel it. Their minds were racing with ways to rescue Quatre without casualties but they knew it was almost near impossible.

Tension was growing in the brunette's body, her heart hastening even more. Her fists clenched, the presence of the lax men on both sides getting to be more distinctive. She closed her eyes.

"What was that, princess? I'm afraid I couldn't hear you."

Relena gulped.

"Please…forgive me for my disrespect."

"And…will you do as I say?"

"…"

The soldier's foot pushed harder, Quatre's weakened body hissing in agony.

"That's enough!"

Everyone in the room seemed to jump, the view of the female chef swiftly lifting the broomstick to her hands and cleanly knocking her two captors unconscious leaving each person in a stupor of thoughts. The leader's eyes appeared to be bulging in disbelief, his reflexes attacking her in an effort to put her in her place. The woman clad in a white dress adorned with the gifted plaid apron dodged his blows with ease, her own hands planning his demise. He pulled out his gun on her and pulled the trigger. Time must have slowed because the brunette could see perfectly the projection of the bullet as she sidestepped, grabbing his wrist, and roughly punching her hand against his elbow. The cracking of his arm elicited a wail of pain, the brunette's hand then taking his gun. She twisted his good arm behind him and held his body securely in front of her, the gun pointed directly beneath his chin.

Makoto's eyes were dark and flaring, the bystanders still shocked by the sudden change in power.

"Put down your weapons."

**I must apologize to everyone. This story was never one that I liked so I feel that kind of keeps me from fully engaging in the plotline. I'm sorry if it seems that the story is going down hill but I'm doing my best to keep it interesting. Review and let me know what you think =/ Thanks for reading. **

**JPandS**


	11. Trip Down Memory Lane

**Thank you IkariPanda, Oombala, Lita of Jupiter, Aurora Linada, Lady Light, blackrider11, Fatal Mars and FlameingWings for your kind reviews. As lame as it sounds, I've been pretty discouraged with this fic but your words have really helped to motivate me!**

**Lita of Jupiter: Yeah I thought it would be nice to have Nephrite be a pleasant surprise instead of a nasty one ^^; I'm glad that you think so too!**

**Oombala: Sorry for making you cry XD I myself was completely mortified that I chose Quatre to get injured but I think that because he was the sweetest one it would have more of an impact.**

**FlameingWings: I will try hard to put in more action like the last chap!**

**Lady Light: Yay! I didn't know if this fic was predictable but I'm glad that it keeps you guessing!**

**Aurora Linada: Thank you for liking this fic! It is truly humbling to read your review :]**

**blackrider11: I will now make everything else go downhill! lol thx your reviews always make me laugh and feel better XD**

**Also, thank you Fatal Mars for the advice. You're right it would have been cool to write the scene from Quatre's POV, so cool even that I'm thinking of adding an extended version of that chapter ^^; Also the advice to switch perspectives when I get stuck proved very useful! **

**IkariPanda: yeah I used the anime Nephrite reference for the last chapter and fight scenes are SO hard for me to write XD I just try my best to describe what goes on in my head ^^; **

**Again, thank you guys for the reviews. They really do help =)**

Trowa's heart fell like a ton of bricks in the pit of his chest. A swelling sense of failure engulfed him completely and then was overcome with distinctive anger. He supposed he was the one to blame for her involvement. If only he kept a closer eye on things he might have been able to prevent her life from being influenced by all this mess. He cringed. She was much too innocent to have to indulge in these types of affairs.

Makoto now had the commander pinned, the other soldiers knocked unconscious by the pilots who were now tending to Quatre's wound. Trowa would have been the first to help his blond companion but his mind was focused on a certain chef.

"Prince Milliardo?" Makoto's eyes were shifty as she remained anxious about what would ensue now that they knew she was stronger than she originally let on to be.

"We'll take it from here," he said and Makoto nodded. She stood from pinning the general and stepped aside as Heero resumed her task. As soon as she was free from action, Trowa paced out the door grabbing her arm in the process.

Shocked, Makoto stumbled after his lead. He kept walking for miles through the grove of trees until finally stopping in an area that had no specific variances in comparison to places they had passed.

"Trowa?"

"Fight."

He swung full force with intent to make contact but she dodged his blow. Adrenaline coursed through her veins in the instant her body screamed with panic.

"Trowa, what're you doing?"

The man didn't answer, his single word still ringing in his own ears. Fight. Makoto was getting angry, the unexplained actions from the taller man pushing her to frustration. What was the point of this? He came at her with speed that she hadn't encountered for years. While her body reveled in the final opportunity to release itself, her mind was racing with reasons why he would be acting so strangely.

She gasped as she felt his fist collide with the side of her face and stumbled before quickly regaining her composure. A single centimeter away she saw his foot sweeping across her eyes. Determined, she grabbed his ankle. His attacks paused momentarily before he flipped to try and kick her with his other leg. She jumped back, her chin still stinging from the unexpected punch and he landed skillfully on his feet.

There was no talking to him in this state. His forest green eyes were so focused in his mission that Makoto found it difficult to even find a soul in there. She grimaced. So this is what they looked like when they were executing certain tasks. It wasn't something she had wanted to see, his stoic stare piercing through her.

Trowa was furious. Her agility was inexplicable and she fought like a veteran. The situation he had witnessed with the general was no fluke. Disappointment drenched him as he continued to charge towards her. Why? Why did she have to be this way? He flinched when he felt her fist pushing into his gut. The air in his lungs were forced out, a swift grunt of shock escaping his lips. He grabbed her arm and tightened his stone grip until he felt it start to crumble. She hissed and dropped her knees. Angered, she did a sweep which he dodged. Again on her feet, she kept swinging at him despite her pain.

His body was fluid as he anticipated each blow. Without thinking, he pulled out his gun and pointed it directly in the center of her forehead. She froze. He could see it now. Her emeralds were large with concern, as she stood motionless with his gun pointing at her. How could he have missed it before? The sharp green tint to her eyes poked heavily on his conscience, an overwhelming blanket of sorrow engulfing him. His finger twitched on the trigger, her eyes still staining his thoughts.

"Trowa." She whispered hoarsely.

The world was still, not even the leaves were numb from the stale air around them. And the sound of a single shot reverberated through the trees.

_ The pelting drops descending from heaven pulled persistently on the clothes of a young boy, making his strides more difficult with added weight. His head hung protectively over a small bundle secured in his arms. He did his best to keep the small thing from getting wet, the thick blankets wrapped meticulously to keep her warm. She was sleeping, her innocent mind far from realization of his actions. His legs bustled through the growing water with haste, the chill air sending fits of shivers down his spine. 'Almost there,' he thought. 'Just a bit longer and you'll be safe from harm, I promise.'_

_ His panting went unnoticed to him as he searched expectantly down a dark alley. A pair of lone figures turned anxiously towards him and rushed to meet him. His heart ached painfully as he watched them approach, his drenched tresses plastering themselves to his paled face. His deep forest green eyes settled on the resting baby in his arms. Whether tears were falling was unbeknownst to him, as the drops of rain seemed to leave the same effect as crying. His throat dried as he stared at her. The torment was overwhelming; his dreams of being able to protect her and see her grow up slowly slipping away with every second that he pondered his decision. _

_ Gasp. "She's beautiful." The boy's attention lifted to land on a woman standing with long honey brown hair pulled back in a modest ponytail. A man stood beside her, his eyes matching the expression on his wife's face. _

_ "Her name's Makoto," the boy mumbled, his arms unconsciously tightening around the young girl. The woman bent over to try and get a closer look at her, a slender finger gently brushing the soft skin of Makoto's cheeks. The man placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and she straightened up._

_ "We will take good care of her," the woman spoke. The boy looked to the both of them, the raging war in his chest nearly leaving him to sprint away from them._

_ "I know," he replied hesitantly. They stood motionless for a while as the young boy held to his sister in contemplation. For a young boy, his whole life seemed to age him quickly and no greater pain was felt than what he was feeling now. He stepped closer to the pair, his eyes blurring as he took the last look at the baby girl. Reluctantly, he lifted his arms to them and they carefully grabbed her._

_ His heart felt as though it shattered the second they had her. A black hole replaced the beating organ in his chest, an endless void already consuming his entire being. He stumbled back. She needed to be free from the fight that their parents had died in and even the one that he would inevitably face. She didn't need to be trapped shedding blood of men and taking her own injuries. To let her go would be the best way to keep her safe._

_ "You know," the man said. "You could come with us too…"_

_ The boy shook his head. Too many people knew him and too many people would be searching for him. That was the purpose of him doing this, so that his sister wouldn't have to deal with the troubles he faced. If he wasn't so sought after, he would have ran away with her and never grieve over the decision to give her to someone else. _

_ "I can't." _

_ He was distraught. _

_ "Thank you, son." The woman said. "You don't know how much this means to us."_

_ The gratuity in her eyes couldn't touch him, as the sorrow in his own chest throbbed unceasingly. __**They **__had no idea how much this meant to him. He was giving away his last piece of hope and humanity. He shuddered. He had to get away before he changed his mind. He turned on his heel but stopped when he heard the husband speak._

_ "What's your name?"_

_ The boy's soul wrenched even more than before. His name? He didn't even want to remember it, as the name would remind him inevitably of the decision that burned him to no end. The name given to him at birth would be a lie to him now. That boy no longer existed. He died the moment he let go of Makoto and in his place stood someone different._

_ "I have no name." _

"So what do you plan to do with her?"

Relena felt anxious as she watched her brother ponder silently over the events that had just occurred.

"What would you have me do?" He asked. His gaze was steady as he awaited her answer.

"I don't know," Relena replied honestly. "I was hoping you had already made up your mind."

"And if my decision was not to your liking?"

"Then I would do my best to persuade you otherwise."

The two siblings remained patient as they each searched for some type of resolve.

"She lied," he said. "She's been keeping her strength a secret from all of us. She cannot be trusted."

"But she saved us," Relena rebuked. "If she was here to kill us then I believe she would have done it already. She has had countless opportunities and yet we are still living."

"That may be so," Milliardo admitted. "But it does not excuse her from her dishonesty."

"Has her dishonesty really endangered us?" Relena asked. "Even so, did anyone even bother to ask her before whether or not she had skill concerning hand-to-hand combat?"

"I don't believe so."

"Then to what was she dishonest?"

"She fled when she first saved you."

Relena's voice caught in her throat. She had not thought that Milliardo would figure out that Makoto was in deed the person who rescued her in the forest. If anything, she planned on keeping it a secret until Makoto had decided to tell everyone or until the information no longer harbored any ill will.

"She was afraid," Relena excused. Of course she hadn't discussed this with Makoto herself but the notion wasn't too far fetched to assume.

"Afraid of what?" Milliardo questioned. "Afraid that she might be guilty of protecting you from harm? It is quite ridiculous that someone would fear being caught as a hero."

Relena had to take time to contemplate her next response. She too had criticized her choice to run but what reason had she used to compensate for her suspicion?

"She's a good person," Relena argued. "She's been nothing but good to us!"

"Then why didn't she take down the general sooner? Why did she have to wait until Quatre was severely injured to act?" Milliardo could feel his temper rising as he asked these questions. If she really was a good person, then how could she let Quatre who had been so sweet to her suffer like that? He didn't deserve the pain and she didn't deserve praise for her delayed reaction.

"You weren't very commending when she first helped out so why would she be in a rush to try again?" Relena was boiling at her brother's failed attempt at analyzing the situation. "The first time you treated her like an enemy when she had proven she was above that and now she has done the same again! How many times does she have to prove herself to you before you realize she's on our side?"

"Nothing she's done has saved her from the—"

"Brother," Relena interrupted. "Your judgment has always been one that I look up to and I have stood beside you in every situation. However, something has gone awry in your judgment and I cannot allow it to influence this situation with Makoto."

A slight sting was felt in his ego as he considered her words.

"I know you've seen for yourself that she is in no way affiliated with the enemy and yet you still cling so ceaselessly to your pointless suspicions. Do you really believe she cannot be trusted?"

Milliardo was quiet as he thought about it. The brunette chef was surprisingly powerful, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't see a killer in her.

"No," he started. "I don't."

Relena released a great sigh of relief and nodded. "Then what will you do now?"

"I will give her the option," he said. "Either she can join us in this fight and keep her job, or she can return home never again to hear of this fight."

Satisfied by his answer, Relena exhaled.

"I think that would be best."

Both siblings felt relieved to have reached an agreement and stood in conclusion.

"Thank you, Relena," Milliardo muttered with a small bow of his head.

"I'm your sister, Milliardo. I'm inclined to help." He smiled in response to her words and pulled her into a gracious hug.

"I'll go tell Heero and the others about the proposition and then we'll go catch up to Duo and Quatre at the hospital."

With a bob of her head, Relena departed.

_The young boy shook uncontrollably. The plane wreck was forever encrusted in the depths of his mind as he searched desperately for the little girl. The charred bodies around him stung at his fragile state as he hastily pushed them aside. He couldn't find her. His eyes were blurred, his body shaking as his search started to sink in as futile. He dropped to his knees, the pulsating agony threatening to rip through his chest._

_ "Makoto." The smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils, chunks of undigested matter creeping up his throat. His lips trembled as his mouth stood agape, unsightly fluids spewing forth. He coughed hazardously, the sound insinuating that his lungs were trying to hack their way out. _

_ His body was wracked with tears, the crash replaying constantly in his mind. How could this have happened? She was supposed to live happily and grow up like a normal girl but it seemed that fate had wanted her dead. No one was to blame for the plane malfunction but the boy wanted desperately to seek out revenge. His clenched fists pounded heavily into the ground, soot and ashes shifting beneath him. An accident and she had to be in there. His breathing was dangerously short and unforgiving. _

_ He mourned there. Mourned until he had no more tears to cry. With agitated eyes and a heart that he could no longer feel, he swore to burry his sister completely and burry her he did._

**Confusing? Too far out there? Let me know what you think!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**I truly appreciate it!**

**JPandS**


	12. Leave and Take

**Thanks everyone for the reviews as again they do help me stay motivated XD **

**Aurora of Moonblade: I'm glad you liked the twist! I had that twist in mind for about five years ^^;; lol and I finally got it out, yay!**

**Fatal Mars: YES! I will be scouring the site for your update! I love your stories and I'm ecstatic (and a little big headed XD) that you were inspired to do some writing ;) And lol I happen to like the Mako/Trowa pairing but good thing I didn't go that way with this fic. I also think Trowa/Rei is a good couple and I'm attempting to write them together in Disaster heh we'll see how it goes I guess :)**

**toowhiteprincess: I hope this chapter will validate Trowa's actions a little bit. **

**Lita of Jupiter: She hasn't yet realized her pen is missing but that will be brought up in a very near future, not this chap though. I hope find that this chapter is useful in furthering the plot!**

**Aquatonic: I'm glad you think its getting interesting! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**IkariPanda: This chapter holds more of an explanation about the last flashback. Sorry if it was confusing =]**

**Lady Light: heh I get discouraged with this fic just because it isn't as exciting for me to write as other stories. But I'm so happy you like it. I was uncertain whether or not people would be upset that Trowa and Mako are just siblings but so far I think its going pretty well :)  
**

**FlameingWings: I hope that this chapter will answer any questions you have, if not then I'll do my best to improve the explanations :)**

_"I was told that you knew something about the origin of this message."_

_Trowa watched patiently as he handed over the small note that had fallen from Makoto's file when he first searched it. He had to speak with many people and now he had hoped that his efforts would result in something useful. _

_The man scoffed, his blue eyes glimmering as he read the note._

_"I thought you would never come."_

"You again."

Trowa bore no expression of surprise or amusement as he caught sight of the lean bistre haired visitor named Nephrite.

"I felt inclined to check in on you." Nephrite remained stoic, his hands buried in the pockets of his crisp pinstriped pants. He didn't know why, but he had always been one to dress like a successful businessman. He was a bit perturbed now, the events that had just occurred still replaying in his mind. Makoto had nearly gotten hurt and solely because Trowa had seemingly lost his marbles.

"Hn."

The grunt alone was enough to push Nephrite's resolve at neutrality far from execution. He had hoped Trowa would just reveal to Makoto the truth but it appeared that Trowa had no intentions on doing so. Why this was, Nephrite had yet to find out and since the mind of Makoto's never before known older brother was so sheltered he thought it would be wise not to be aggressive. However, Nephrite's patience was dwindling as time continued forward.

"After all these years of believing she was dead you find out that she survived and this is what you do? You try to kill her and then you run?"

The green-eyed brunette continued on ignoring him.

"She needs you, Trowa especially now!"

"She's dead to me."

Nephrite growled in frustration as he followed after him. Leading him to the discovery that this Makoto was the same Makoto he had given up so long ago was hard enough but convincing him that he should rekindle the bond they had was proving to be near impossible.

"If you don't go back to her," Nephrite tried to reason. "Then she may actually die this time. Is that what you want?" Nephrite winced at the question. Trowa nearly ended her life so his choice of words were probably not the best selection.

In silence, Trowa continued with no other goal than to get as far away as possible. His investment in this situation was making him unstable and that was something he couldn't tolerate. That was why he was leaving, that was why he had to keep her dead. If he chose to believe that Makoto was still alive then he wasn't too sure he'd be able to cope with the idea that she had somehow managed to weave herself into the world he tried to spare her from.

_"Her parents died in a plane crash, I don't see why I should investigate it further."_

_Trowa's verdant eyes were focused on the brunette sitting across from him. He had already seen these files of how she had been orphaned so he found himself regretting that he had sought out this man for more information on Makoto Kino._

_"There isn't really any further investigating needed. Just look at the date, does it ring any bells?"_

_"No," the answer was short and lethal as Trowa glared at the man for no apparent reason. _

_"Are you sure?"_

_An uncomfortable churning gutted Trowa unexpectedly, his throat growing dry and tantalizingly itchy. His whole body seemed to ache uncontrollably as he contemplated the question. His brain throbbed dangerously, threatening to tear through his skull at any moment._

_**His eyes widened in terror at the sight of the smoking fuselage. She was in there, and he could do nothing to stop it.**_

_"No," Trowa said again. This time, his voice wasn't so stable as the tremor that hardly was familiar to him rippled in the air. He pushed up from his seat across from Nephrite and went to the wall. He attempted to smooth out the rising tension in his head with the circular movement of his fingers on his scalp but it would not work._

_**Flames licking the tomb that inevitably encased his baby sister, burnt flesh, ashes of men swept away with the wind and the putrid smell of rotting corpses. There was no greater horror etched in his mind than the day that he had lost everything. The day he had lost **__**her**__**.**_

_"She wasn't on the plane, Trowa."_

_His heart pounded harder than he had ever remembered, his breathing growing ragged and short._

_"Stop," he muttered, his head buried in the corner._

_**"Mako-chan," the boy muttered, his knees shaking as he knelt. "Forgive me, I can't live knowing that you're no longer here with me. I thought you would be able to have a peaceful life if I let you go, but now…now I am to blame for your early death. You were not supposed die so young. Being my sister has cursed you to the grave."**_

_"Her parents intended for her to board the plane but she got the flu just days before the trip. They didn't want her condition to worsen, so they left her behind with the nanny."_

_**"Rest in peace, Mako-chan. My heart is now buried with you."**_

_"She's alive, Trowa. She has been ever since that day."_

_**"Goodbye."**_

"I thought you would be happy to see she had survived."

Trowa was beside himself, the statement of the man that had revived so much of the life he had tried desperately to forget annoyingly stinging. His anger surged through his body, his hand swiftly grabbing the arm of Nephrite and slamming him into a wall. He gripped the wavy haired man by the collar dangerously and seethed.

"I let her go!" He said through grit teeth. "Why'd you have to bring her back?"

Nephrite said nothing. How could he? The pain that Trowa hid so well was now resurfacing in a way that he had no control over. Nephrite felt sorry for him, felt bad even for leading him to this discovery.

"I saw her die," Trowa spoke quietly, the never-before spoken words stinging harshly at his reserves. Though this Nephrite held no particular significance to him, he felt the urge to tell him. What would result in his confession, he was unsure, but the words just kept coming. "I watched as the plane she was supposed to be on crashed just off the coast and burst into flames. I was there searching for her body praying that she somehow lived but knew it was a ridiculous thing to hope for. Charred bodies and screaming faces frozen on the remnants of incinerated corpses still stain my mind as if I had just seen it yesterday. I loved her. She was the first and the last person I could ever attach myself to. I wanted that day to die with her, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to do it so I chose to forget her."

Trowa's hands dropped. For the first time, his heart regained its steady beating as he sorted through his thoughts. She was strong, he could see that clearly when they sparred in the forest and for that reason alone he knew others, including Milliardo, would try to hone her strength for their own purposes. This was never a life he intended for his baby sister but somehow she inevitably was encased in it. Reviving her after all these years of her being amiss was disheartening and the idea that she now faced the very troubles he had tried to shield her from left him doting in a cloud of discomfort. The reason he hadn't wanted her to become like him and their parents was because it only led to one fate: death.

"I can't watch her die again."

* * *

It was unnerving riding once more in the car alone with the perfect soldier. The silence coated the already festering anxiety of the green-eyed chef as the vehicle wound with the road. He had given her a proposition that all seemed too unrealistic. Never had she suspected that Milliardo would extend to her the option of continuing her job with them in addition to lying low as a back up person or go home and never be bothered by any of this. Carefully she tried to weigh out the pros and cons of each choice but was lacking in focus.

Trowa. His reigned in expressions hardly faltered but when he saw her take down the general for the invading force…his features darkened with a pained expression. Why? She couldn't seem to figure it out, but seeing that alone made her question herself constantly. She felt disappointed in herself, that's how he made her feel. It was like the life was sucked right out of him and left a shell of Trowa. She grimaced. He couldn't even look her straight in the eyes like he used to…the filtering beams of sun poked at her unsuspecting emeralds in distraction.

The sunlight forced her eyes to squint as she absorbed its rays. He almost shot her. The last hardly even noticeable shift of his arm as he pulled the trigger and the bullet blew past her cheek. She had assumed he intended on taking her life there for the sake of the pilots and the protection of Relena but the idea didn't seem to fit in. Heero and Wufei never appeared to take their duties lightly so surely they would have finished the job if Trowa failed, wouldn't they?

"We're here."

Makoto glanced upward, the corner of her eye catching the sight of Wufei's motorcycle zooming by to find a place to park. Slowly, she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. A shiver tantalizingly tickled her spine as she stared unblinking at the towering hospital walls. She never did enjoy coming to this kind of place.

Her feet followed after Heero as she realized she was being left behind and they met up with Wufei. The automatic doors swung open at their arrival, the distinctive hospital scent rushing into the unappreciative chef's nose.

"Have you made a decision?"

Immediately, Makoto's hands started to get clammy as she hastened her mind to make a choice.

"I—"

"She doesn't have to answer until we leave for the Sanq kingdom," Heero interjected. A great sigh of relief escaped from the anxious brunette at his words and Wufei nodded.

For some untold reason, he had been curious to see what she would decide. Wufei had not expected Milliardo to be so lenient but he supposed Relena had something to do with that fact. He observed her carefully from his periphery as they rode up the quiet elevator. She had been acting strangely since she returned from the forest with Trowa. Had he made an advance on her? Though the quiet man was hardly one he could imagine making moves on a woman, he still had to consider it since he was the first to be spotted speaking so adamantly with her. For what other purpose would he drag her out so abruptly? His thoughts came to a halt as the doors to the elevator slid open and they made their way to Quatre's room.

"How's he doing?" Makoto asked, the braided brunette smiling meekly at her.

"He's fine," he replied. "Doctor says he should be ready to go in no time. Good old Q-man, he's a resilient guy ya know?"

"Can I see him?"

Duo nodded in affirmation and she quietly made her way inside. She winced when she walked in to see him lying in bandages and needles in his arms. Though she knew it wasn't nearly as bad as she was making it out to be, she couldn't help but feel that it was her fault he was in this condition.

"Mako-chan, you came to visit me," he smiled.

"Of course."

For the first time, Makoto felt like a little girl as tears started to accumulate. How could he still be so genuinely caring when she was the one to blame since she had not taken down the enemy sooner?

Quatre could see Makoto's eyes darken as she suffered from guilt. She was a strong person and with that strength, she had a great amount of empathy. He imagined that by now she expected him to be angry because she didn't attack at the first opportunity and prevent this unneeded injury, but he held no spite.

"It's not your fault, Mako-chan," he said giving her hand a soft squeeze.

She smiled appreciatively at his statement and thanked him. It was funny to her how he could so easily put her guilt to rest. A sting of disappointment arose as she noticed the nurse entering.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Visiting hours are over."

"Oh," Makoto sighed. She looked over to Quatre who was still smiling and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you in the morning," she whispered before stepping out of the room.

The rest of the men and Relena were sitting patiently in the lobby, the absent face of a certain brunette again returning to her attention.

_"I'm sorry," he said. _

_His verdant eyes were confused, in disarray, grieving even and she didn't know why. He paced back to the cabin and she continued after him hesitantly. Heero had no questions for him but you could see clearly in Wufei's charcoal eyes that he wanted answers. However, the tallest brunette present in no way wanted to give answers. Trowa volunteered himself to deal with the general and the unconscious task force while Heero and Wufei prepared to leave._

_"I'm sorry."_

The phrase bounced around the confines of her mind. Nothing. Blank. Distant. Confused. Throbbing. Hurting. Uncertain. She was all of these things and neither of them was comforting.

"Mako-chan?" Her eyes met with the concerned gaze of the fondly known Duo Maxwell. "Is everything okay?"

She blinked before turning her lips into a brief smile. "I'm fine," she said. "I just need to get some air."

Before either of them could reject her attempt, she started walking away. Both Wufei and Heero were ready to spring from their seats but stopped when they noticed Milliardo's attentive stare.

"Let her have some time to herself."

There was so much to think about. The even with Trowa made her wonder what it was that was going through his head and Milliardo extending an invitation for her to join them. By all that happened, she had trouble remembering that this all started when she accepted the position as chef. Who would have thought that the simple job of cooking three meals a day could result in this kind of chaos?

She sighed. The cool night breeze was soothing as it brushed across her skin and made waves with her clothing. It was quiet. As all her thoughts settled, an unexplained anxiety coursed through her. Irritating warmth drummed on her ear and carefully, she raised a hand to disconnect her pink rose earring. She rubbed her ear wherein the earring used to dwell and brought the cherished souvenir down to eye level.

Her heart pounded as her eyes curiously scoured the small heirloom. A tiny light blinked rhythmically near the stem of the earring and Makoto's breath caught in the center of her chest.

_"Nice earrings," Irma commented with a grin. "Give them here so I can clean off the dirt."_

_Without hesitation, Makoto removed the prized possessions from her ears and handed them to the woman. _

_"Your ride is here," Irma rushed. "Go now before it's too late."_

_"What about my earrings?"_

_"I'll get them to you in the morning," she insisted. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of them."_

_At that moment, Makoto felt a tinge of apprehension as she first noticed the minute cynicism in the woman's eyes. Opting that she was being too paranoid, she let the notion drop._

Makoto's body stiffened as she felt a prick jab at the back of her neck. A hand shakily fumbled for the invading object and she stared with confusion at the small dart. She gasped, another dart piercing her shoulder. The world around her started to blur, colors melding into each other to form a deep blanket of brown. She collapsed.

Clicking of heels could be heard approaching her and she used all the might she had left to face the sound. Her throat dried as the pristine picture of the familiar redhead stood directly above her.

"Irma," Makoto's voice managed to scratch out.

The woman sighed. "I knew that barbaric idiot wouldn't listen to my warning about you. Nevertheless, I've got what I want now…"

She crouched over the drifting chef and smirked.

"Goodnight Mako-chan."

**Okaaaay, there's that!**

**Please let me know what you think!**

**Thanks for reading =)**

**JPandS**


	13. Unraveled

They had reasoned that she ran away since there was no evidence to deter them from that theory. The note left in her stead read:

_I'm sorry but I cannot stay any longer. I hope you can come to understand and forgive me in time._

_Best Wishes,_

_Makoto_

They couldn't explain it, but they each were hit with a strong wave of disappointment though most of them were unwilling to show it so openly. Duo had been one of the few to display his dissatisfaction both in his demeanor and vocally. Every time he stopped to think about it, an overwhelming swirl of betrayal and frustration would sweep through him until he would get the impulse to hit something. He was never a fan of sparring but he had been doing it often with Wufei, Heero or any poor soldier that happened to be around when he was upset. The fact of the matter was that he felt they had opened up to her. A group of tightly strung soldiers, gundam pilots no less, had accepted her for who she was without question. They were even starting to like her, no longer minding that she was in there presence when so many before her were so quickly dismissed because they couldn't stand them. Didn't they deserve a better explanation? Weren't they worth more than just a sticky post-it note with little to no words written on it?

These questions had been thought by each of them and neither was able to resist the pain that harbored wherein. Milliardo returned to his illogic self that he was prior to the relocation, Heero was again hardly ever seen as he buried himself with missions his peers were uncertain even existed, Wufei had become more irate, snapping at every small mistake; Relena always looked to be in a pensive state never really appearing as though she were awake on the inside, Trowa was missing and Quatre had been seen frowning more often than was natural for the young blond. Even his optimism and faith in mankind seemed to be suffering. You see, it was difficult for either of them to get close to people despite their wide range of personalities, and they had definitely thought that Makoto was one of the few exceptions, so, it hurt to think that she could so easily abandon them without hesitation.

Alas, they could not completely understand why they let her decision taint them so much especially since they had only known her for such a short time. After all, this was not the first time they had to deal with disappointment so one would think they were experts at the subject…

"Where is she?"

"What? Who the hell are you talking about?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean! Tell me where she is or you'll have one less limb than you started off with!"

Duo's teeth grit in pure irritability. For the first time, he had actually felt something that more than likely related rather closely to the feeling Wufei held for the female race. This sandy blonde male impersonator was indeed a woman though she looked very convincing in her garb and even her strength, but Duo could not be fooled as he had an unmentioned knack at detecting women in any and every disguise.

"Haruka!"

Both Duo and the "Haruka" character snapped their heads to look for the producer of the voice. A stern raven-haired woman stood with hands on her hips as her violet eyes glared with frustration.

"I told you not to get aggressive! We're not trying to gain enemies here!"

Haruka scoffed, releasing her grip on Duo's collar and retracting her strange looking sword. Come to think of it, Duo hadn't even seen where it came from and now that he watched, he had to rub his eyes because it almost seemed as though the sandy blonde had made it disappear into thin air.

"Trying to be diplomatic is getting us nowhere. If we wanna find Mako-chan fast then we need to squeeze the answers out of these people."

"And what exactly makes you think _this guy_ has any answers?" The raven-haired miko replied, pointing in Duo's direction. He wanted to make a mock-hurt gesture in response to the other female's somewhat insulting assumption, but a particular phrase from the gender-confused blonde captured his attention.

"Wait, Makoto? Kino Makoto?"

All eyes fell on him, the blonde's stance hinting that she might be planning to pull out her sword again. Duo hastily put his hands up as if to surrender and luckily the raven-haired girl was able to get the blonde to refrain by telling her to hold on.

"What do you know about Makoto?" The raven-haired woman asked.

He raised an eyebrow in her direction, uncertain as to whether or not he was completely conscious of what was going on here. These girls were affiliates of Makoto's and yet they seemed to be looking for her. He doubted they would staple "chan" to her name if they weren't close friends with the recently departed brunette so they couldn't be bad company. Was Makoto really missing?

"She was Relena's personal chef," he said. "But she resigned days ago and took off. I assume she went home."

"Resigned?" Haruka repeated with a perplexed look on her face.

Duo observed the both of them, taking notice of the concern marring the facial features of the still unnamed female.

"Exactly what day was this?" she asked.

"Three days ago," Duo asked. He couldn't help but feel anxious as the aura in the room plunged into one of panic. All his bad thoughts of Makoto were slowly disintegrating as he tried to formulate the possibility that she may not have left as abruptly as they all thought she did.

Haruka stared at her comrade as though she held all the answers and Duo's eyes undoubtedly did the same. The fair-skinned woman rubbed her head in thought, still trying to piece things together.

_"Rei," Haruka said, a bit shocked to find her sitting in the living room of her humble abode. "What brings you here?"_

_Rei gulped nervously in her seat, eyes straying to Michiru for a bit of reassurance before continuing._

_"I had a vision," she mumbled and Haruka immediately stiffened._

_"What is it?" She asked hastily. "Is it an enemy? Do we need to reunite the senshi? Have you told the others?"_

_Rei vigorously shook her head, rubbing her temples as the vision left a rather taxing residue of discomfort on her mind. It was a very vague reading but danger kept stabbing at her so she could not ignore it. Small pictures of Makoto were shown in a strange contraption along with a foreign face masked with brilliant red hair. She could see nothing else but again the danger was much stronger than the picture._

_"It's Makoto."_

_She needn't say anything more, Haruka cursing under her breath about the brunette always being incapable of taking care of herself and also having a hazardous attraction to trouble. It wasn't that the brunette sought trouble on purpose, no. It was that trouble always seemed to find its way to her. Haruka grabbed her coat and put it back on, rummaging through her tray of keys until she finally found what she was looking for._

_"What're you doing?" Rei asked, standing up from her seat._

_"I'm gonna go save that little brat because she clearly can't do it herself."_

_"I haven't even told you what I saw!"_

_"No offense, Rei, but your face is easier to read than a children's book. I could tell before you said anything that someone was in trouble."_

_Rei frowned as Michiru shrugged in quiet agreement. Of course she had known they would inevitably have to do something in order to help Makoto but she wasn't accustomed to this on-the-spot decision making. Usually after a vision, she would tell Luna and Artemis who would in turn call the rest of the senshi to meet at the shrine. Then, they would have a long-winded discussion on what plan of action they should take. She had forgotten that the outers were very brief and to the point, a trait that she now remembered she oft admired._

_"Well I'm going with you," she said with determination._

_Haruka could tell that Rei was willing to dive into a strenuous unneeded debate if she refused her so she simply nodded._

_"Did you tell Usagi yet?" she asked._

_"No," Rei admitted. "I didn't want her to worry about it since she is planning her wedding…"_

_"Good," Haruka stated. She looked inquisitively towards Michiru, the silent connection between the two so strong that Haruka hadn't had to vocalize her question in order for her partner to know what she was asking._

_"I think I should stay behind," she said softly. "Usagi-hime would know something was wrong if too many of us decided to leave."_

_Haruka bobbed her head in understanding. _

_"Alright," she said. "I'll keep in contact while I'm gone and call me if she happens to find out."_

_"Naturally," Michiru replied with a smile. Haruka left her a departing kiss on the cheek before leading Rei up to the roof towards the helicopter. Mere hours later would find them landing near the Sanq kingdom._

"That's the same day I had the first vision," Rei muttered to herself.

Duo again was thrown astray; as he cleaned his ears for fear that he was mishearing things.

"Did she say vision?"

Haruka ignored him, as she now started to sift through what she was saying.

"You had the vision three days ago?" Haruka was starting to get a bit peeved, the idea that the raven-haired girl had waited so long before sharing her discovery unnerving her. The idea that Makoto was in deep trouble now seemed to intensify as three days was more than enough time for something dreadful to happen.

"It was very blurry," Rei defended. "I couldn't see a clear picture of Makoto until today."

Haruka growled in annoyance, pacing angrily.

"So you're first vision, was it the same as the one you had today?"

"No," Rei muttered, Duo's presence completely forgotten. "My first vision had something to do with someone I've never seen before. The only feature I could make out was their hair. It's red…really red."

Haruka arched an eyebrow at the vague description. That was about a quarter of the Sanq kingdom's staff members, not counting the soldiers. It might take forever trying to weed them out to see which matched the "feeling" of the person in Rei's vision.

"And the others?" Haruka asked.

"The others are all the same. Makoto was unconscious in some kind of machine attached to a bunch of wires and the red-head was there too, just watching. Do you think…" she drifted as her violet hues flit to look at Haruka in concern.

"She's been kidnapped," Haruka cursed, running her hand through her hair. Who would want to kidnap Makoto? And why? "We're gonna have to get a personal interview with the Peacecrafts themselves. See if they're running some kind of underground operation."

"Not likely, babe," Duo interrupted after absorbing the exchange between the two.

He had found it interesting that they openly spoke of weird topics comfortably and imagined that Makoto too had probably been privy to this type of talk since she was obviously important to them. It was even interesting that they had decided to march right into the Sanq kingdom, assault him and take no caution! Either they were incredibly stupid (which he hadn't completely ruled out yet), insane or had a huge influential card up their sleeves. Either way, he was intrigued by their actions and by the idea that Makoto may not have left on her own accord.

"I'm basically head of the technological aspects of security and I work hand in hand with the Peacecrafts. I can honestly say that what you see is what you get. There's no secret agenda hidden here even if Lardo is a guy I can barely stand working with, he's not sick like that."

Haruka looked pointedly at him, Rei still unsure if he was a liable resource.

"Besides," he said as they still stood unconvinced. "I saw her resignation letter myself, held it and everything. There were no signs of struggle where she was last seen and if you guys are her friends I assume you know already that she's no easy target to get if your theory that she was kidnapped is even viable…"

Somehow he had earned their undivided attention, his little reference to her strength confirming that he did indeed know Makoto personally. However, this only made the situation more confusing as they now held anymore leads. If the Peacecrafts weren't responsible, then who was?

* * *

Cold, damp, and grimy, the only adjectives scrolling through the young brunette's mind as she lay groggily trapped in a deep slumber. It was the strangest experience. She knew she was sleeping, she could remember clearly what had happened, but for the life of her, she could do nothing about it, her eyelids sewn shut and her body refusing to listen to her silent demands. Years of senshi life did nothing to aid her in this situation and she felt immensely sickened by the prospect that she was now helpless.

She growled. How could she have been so stupid? Why didn't she think more about the suspicious fact that Irma was so easily able to weave an elaborate lie for her when she first found herself in a compromising position? Why couldn't she see through the redhead's fake persona? Had this been a youma in disguise, she would have spotted her for the monster she was a long time ago but supposedly since she was merely human, Makoto had automatically underestimated her.

She grimaced. Who was she kidding? She never expected to get stuck in the middle of an unknown feud. When she originally accepted the job, she took it as an opportunity to broaden her horizons. It was an opportunity to spread her wings, to escape from the fate that had been "predetermined" by her past life. She wanted this job to take her away from enemies. She wanted it to take her away from fighting.

It was a funny thing, Kino Makoto's true nature. She didn't enjoy fighting. To many that would be a surprise, hell, many wouldn't even believe it to be true. She enjoyed the strain it had on her body, the fatigue it left afterwards when she gave her all, but she didn't enjoy the bruises, pain and hurt that she caused to others. She never did. Since she was young, some unknown force urged her to become stronger constantly beckoning her to expand her physical prowess further and further. When she would try to ignore the urgings, she would grow sick and weary. Her skin would pale, her eyes would darken while admonished with unsightly bags beneath and her soul would tremble constantly bridled with anguish and dissatisfaction. It was as if her whole life force would slowly die every time she disregarded the drive to grow stronger. Succumbing to the silent prodding was the only way for her to survive, and survive she did.

Growing accustomed to the unseen counsel of a higher force, she could remember when she had awoken with the distinct prompting to relocate to Juuban district at the tender age of 14. Knowing from experience, she worked as quickly as she could to transfer there, still unsure of what had awaited her. It was no surprise when she found out she was the senshi of Jupiter. As a matter of fact, it actually gave her clarity to the lifelong drive she had to expound upon her physical strength. She learned every form of martial arts available to her all for the simple calling of Jupiter. That day had made every lonely day she spent training and being shunned by her peers worth while because Tsukino Usagi, Moon princess and sole benefactor of Makoto's protection, had given her understanding. Without hesitation, the young clumsy teenager befriended her and it was a friendship that Makoto could never forget.

The brunette's ears perked at the sound of heels clicking on the cold pavement, nearing her leisurely as she still lay disconnected to the rest of her senses. A steady sigh was heard at the conclusion of the clicking, Makoto's hairs standing as she felt the person standing over her. It was Irma.

"Pick her up," the woman ordered, a flock of feet shuffling across the ground towards the unconscious but aware woman.

Obediently, they lifted Makoto, her body limply folding into their arms. How pathetic it was to be in this state. Makoto's body was screaming in frustration, her gut wrenching at her inability to act. They dragged her for what felt like an eternity, her body finally placed roughly onto some kind of chair.

"HEY!" Irma fumed. "Careful with that!"

Makoto scoffed. She hadn't known whether Irma referred to her as being "that" or if the seat she was currently occupying earned the annotation. Either way, it made her angry, every good thought she ever had of Irma now going sour.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet? Didn't you say the tranquilizers wore off within 24 hours?"

Makoto gasped, or felt like she could have, at the words. She had been missing for more than a day? She frowned. She had expected to at least be found within that time frame being as the men that would first gain knowledge of her disappearance were well trained and dangerous. Insecurities quickly seemed to seep through her mentality as she wondered if they were even looking for her. After all, she had only known them for a short time. They really didn't owe her anything…

"The effects vary with every person," someone muttered nervously. "And it is especially difficult to predict when they'll wake up when you use more than the prescribed amount…"

Makoto could hear Irma growl, clattering of metal clinks crashing to the ground. Exhaling a deep breath, Irma tried to calm her rising anger. She now had the key to bringing down the Sanq Kingdom but the damn girl would not wake up! Her patience was wearing thin, every fiber in her being egging her to just annihilate Makoto on the spot. The only thing keeping her alive at this point was the possibility that in her lye some untapped energy that she was hungry to experiment with.

Her preying eyes were fixated on the brunette with undeniable excitement churning in the pit of her chest. Once she got her hands on that power, she was certain she would enjoy it. The taste was already in her mouth, the tempting ability rearing Irma into a fit of sadistic pleasure. Lightening, thunder and electricity…the scientists had said something about another underlying current in the pen but she didn't care to hear it since it appeared harmless and much too whimsical for her goal. She scoffed. They had said in using the pen they were able to revive a wilting rose bud, something she found completely useless. So, ignoring that bit of information, she told them to build a machine that could extract the lightening from its "vessel" and channel it to something operable to her.

To her satisfaction, they had actually succeeded. She looked to her hands, sleek styled gloves covering her palms. She knew Makoto was the noble type and would never freely offer her abilities which Irma thought to be awfully selfish. So instead of having to expend her energy in trying to persuade her, she would just take it. Once Kino Makoto awoke, Irma's dreams would be realized and there would be no one to stop her.

**- Irma's Folly -**

It was a beautiful town, small, quaint and full of life. The people enjoyed the simple aspects of Earth, the rocks, the plants, the berries, the fruits, the trees, and crops, even the little creatures that crawled and flew. Being small they had little attention from outsiders but they hadn't cared since it mostly kept them exempt from the outside influences of war and politics. The people of the town were the most civil, hardly ever disputing amongst each other and raising there children to follow in the same mold. Peace was all they new.

From time to time youngsters would dream. Dream about leaving the condensing walls of the town to live in the rumored colonies that had been established in space, dream about visiting the city to see how different life could be, dream even of flying in one of the planes that would habitually hover over their scarcely-known town, dream…

One group of friends were particularly known for their "extravagant" dreams as any dream that exceeded the confines of their town was considered as such, and most of the time they were not thought highly of. Outcasts, though never really exhorted by their neighbors and townspeople, they still reveled in the thought that they were different. Friendly group, they were, the friendliest even, but their ideals were still a bit too foreign for others to understand. The townsfolk reasoned why would you want to leave a place where everything happens so perfectly? No one starves like in the cities, no one kills like in the cities and no one lies! What more could you want?

Nevertheless, the group stuck strictly to their plans to get out, never once allowing the persuasions of everyone else influence their decisions. However, one particular girl stood out not only because of her fiery red hair but also because she could oft be seen with the group despite the fact she had no dreams of leaving. She liked living in the town and she could not imagine ever being without it. Supposedly, she ran in tight with the group because her own twin sister, whose only difference was that her hair was a deep brown, was the leader.

However minute the age difference, little Irma always admired her older sister. She was smart, beautiful and never afraid of anything. Irma of course was heartbroken that she would want to leave the town but with age and much reassurance from her sister, she came to accept her twin's dream and even helped her to achieve it. Until the time her sister would inevitably depart, Irma was adamant on spending every waking moment with her. They were inseparable and yet still retained their own separate personalities.

Aina, Irma's sister, was very obnoxious. She didn't take well to authority, cleanliness, or order and always tried to find the loophole in rules. No one ever wanted to try and reason with her because she often won, children and adults alike. However, she still managed to be on good terms with everyone. She could be the most polite, donating her time to help the townspeople with their various chores and even giving her nice things to others to appreciate since she never was one for worldly things. She could do no wrong though it was well-known that she could be the worse person to deal with in the snap of a twig.

Irma, on the other hand, was very quiet. She followed every rule known to man to a tee and never strayed away from structure and order. She could not handle being thrown into a situation that involved last minute detailing and abhorred things that were out of place. She was often buried in books of every genre and never gave much care to boys or even playing outside in the parks. Like her sister, however, she was very generous and also gave little value to worldly possessions as she gave them out freely and was always seen aiding those in need.

They were two peas in a pod, though polar opposites in the same sense. They clung to each other as if they were one and neither ever forsook the other throughout their entire lifetime together. On their eighteenth birthday, Aina and Irma had retreated to their secret hideaway, the two heartbroken by the fact that the time they would have to separate had come so quickly.

"This is it then," Aina said with a frown. "I can't believe it has finally come."

Irma smiled hesitantly as she again looked to the brochure in her hands. The Sanq kingdom was undoubtedly a gorgeous place and Irma was not at all disappointed by Aina's decision to relocate there.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it there," Irma whispered meekly. Her hands shook despite the fact that she had tried so hard not to look depressed for Aina's sake. After all, this was her dream and Irma would never let her stay if it meant she was abandoning it.

Aina put a hand on her sister's, squeezing it softly as she too felt the same flurry of excitement mixed with sorrow.

"I know you don't like material things, hell I—

"Aina," Irma hissed at the hearing of the curse word to which Aina sheepishly grinned.

"Sorry Irma, I forget how squeamish you are about language. But, I got you something to remember me by." She pulled out a poorly made picture frame plastered with what looked to be much and hay. Irma had to stifle a little laugh as she took the gift but could not hold the tears as she looked at the picture Aina had decided to use.

It was a picture of Aina in the middle of a heated argument with a friend while Irma stood in between them trying to siphon off the fuel. It was a hilarious scene that had managed to capture both sisters in their natural states and Irma had prized it the most ever since Aina gave it her.

"That way you don't feel so bad that I'm gone," Aina remarked. "It means a lot less hassle…"

Irma lunged at Aina, trapping her in a bone-crushing hug. Aina couldn't help but laugh the two still in disbelief that they would now be traveling their own separate ways. Engaged still in a hug, Irma whispered feebly.

"Don't forget about me," she said.

Aina scoffed.

"Never."

The two released each other, Aina getting up as she heard a car traveling closer. Her boyfriend at the time was accompanying her on the voyage, Irma waving as they disappeared along the endless stretch of asphalt. She was hopeful in that moment, content that Aina was finally on her way.

**To Be continued…**

I finally got around to updating this! Yay! I am hoping to stay on a roll with this one and crank out the concluding chapters as it is getting very close to the end. Hope this was enjoyable since I do sometimes give less...I don't know...care? to this story but I do try, if that makes sense lol. I also think it would add to give Irma's story. At first I was going to include the whole thing in this chapter but I think it would be better to put it out in pieces and it gives me more time to tweak the rest of her history =]

Thank you guys for taking time to read and even more thanks for those who took the time to review! I sure do appreciate both readers and reviewers!

SmileyBasis: Thank you for your review! I really was surprised to get one from you XD but I'm glad you like this story even if it may not be my favorite to write ^^ And I hope you are still planning to continue your stories that far exceed anything I could ever write =]

Aurora of Moonblade: Lol I hope you didn't hate me too much for that last chapter ^^; and of course love is always welcomed! lol Hope you find this chapter as entertaining as the ones before!

IkariPanda: I'm relieved that the last chapter cleared up any confusion about the prior chapters and hope that I have not accidentally caused more confusion in this chapter. Ah the tangled web I always seem to weave lol. Anyhow, I know what you mean! Poor Trowa but I especially love writing his story though it is so painful! Hope you like this chapter!

Lita of Jupiter: Yup, Irma is definitely far more devious than she first appeared! And poor Makoto caught her attention. I'm not sure if I'll be adding more about Makoto and Trowa's parents but I guess I'll have to mull that over a bit in my head =) And yes, there were some visitors after all at the Sanq kingdom ;) lol always funny how you can guess what's coming next!

Oombala: After rereading all the chapters I have to say you're right. The last chapter did flow a lot better than the others and I think it might be because I actually enjoyed that one the most heh. I'm glad no one has said so far that nothing makes any sense lol because I often seem to think that and this story makes me the most anxious XD

Lady Light: Thank you for still liking it! I think I went back and put a line between the scene change in that last chapter after I read your review ^^; I sometimes forget to put in some time of visible break in between scenes so I appologize! I'm glad you were able to get through it though!

FlameingWings: I hope your questions were answered in this chapter! I always like to get questions in reviews because they sometimes help me outline what needs addressing and what I want to happen next, so I really appreciate them! Also, I'm happy the flash backs are making sense ^^

toowhiteprincess: lol he could have just dragged her away like some caveman but I don't think I would have done well in continuing it from that point XD I'm glad you liked the chapter!


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